Worlds Collide
by CarterMacGyver
Summary: Jack O'Neill has kept his two worlds apart for years, and now they are colliding. And all because a new doctor has come to the SGC. Set season 7. JS complete
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:Don't own Stargate, wish I did though. But I don't.

A/N:Okay, I'm really not sure about this story. My unofficial beta (little sister) likes it, but I'm not sure. So review! Please please review, and not just because reviews make me happy.

Chapter 1

Katherine Rose O'Neill looked suddenly at the news. "I'm going stateside? Back to a place where there's no sand and more seasons than Wet and Hot?"

Dr. Colonel Michael Watts grinned at his chief surgeon; she had been over here longer than anyone else, going to Afghanistan with the first MASH units and then straight to Iraq when that war had started. He figured the young doctor hadn't been home in at least four years.

"Yes, Kate, you're going stateside. You've been reassigned to work under a Dr. Janet Frasier at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. But you probably won't be doing much in a mountain that does Deep Space Radar Telemetry, so you also have duties at the Air Force Academy Hospital."

"Cheyenne? I'm going to Colorado Springs?" Kate raised one eyebrow in surprise, she knew all to well what was under Cheyenne Mountain, even though she hadn't been there in at least four years. But still, why would they want, or need, another O'Neill for?

"Yeah, I can't figure it out myself. But you're the new Chief Surgeon of Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Who'd you piss off now? I mean, you're way too good for this kind of assignment." Michael Watts had never been unimpressed with Dr. Kate O'Neill, even when she didn't think about what she was saying or when she got too passionate about protecting her patients. Hell, he even remained impressed with her when she disobeyed direct orders, not that she ever really followed orders anyway. Lucky for her, she wasn't regular Air Force, or even Army. Kate O'Neill had the luck and privilege to be a civilian doctor who chose to work for the military. Even if her luck meant that, she moved from assignment to assignment more often than regular army doctors.

"Well Mike, maybe they think I'm burning out. It's happened to others before," Kate tried to reason, knowing that Mike didn't have the clearance to know that the Air Force had paid her a huge complement. Only the best doctor's s went to the SGC, and apparently, she was now among the best.

"Kate, you're burning up out here, not burning out!" he laughed.

She would have replied, but the helicopters that dominated their lives came. Neither thought of the fact that she was leaving until the grueling 72-hour marathon OR session was over, and the company clerk was telling Kate through her sleep deprived fog, that the chopper was here and she had to leave immediately, she was already three days over due.

A/N2:So? Anybody want to know what happens next? Hit the button and review if you do.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:Wow! Everyone seems to be liking this story, and that is amazing to me. Really, 22 reviews is more than I ever expected. Thanks you so so much to all who reviewed, it made me really happy. And to all of you who are trying to figure out who Kate is, I'm not telling, yet. So please review, it makes me happy.

Chapter 2

"Dr. Frasier, where is this new doctor you asked to be assigned here? She was supposed to arrive four days ago," General Hammond, asked his CMO, Janet Frasier. He had no clue how she had talked him into assigning Kate O'Neill at the SGC, especially since he knew very well the relationship between Dr. and Colonel O'Neill.

"Sir, it is possible that she was held up. Or that a new offensive began or that she didn't get the message immediately. Communications over there can be less than perfect at times," Janet theorized. She was just as worried that her new Chief Surgeon hadn't shown up yet. Of course, she was also worried what Jack O'Neill would do when he found out that Kate was coming here. As far as Janet knew, the rest of SG-1 didn't even know Kate existed. The appearance of Kate here certainly had the potential to create a rift between the Colonel and his 2IC. And as Sam Carter's friend, Janet was very worried about what meeting Kate could do to Sam and her relationship, or non-relationship, with Jack O'Neill.

"Well, make sure I'm informed when she does arrive," the General said, "God, she really is like him isn't she?"

"Yes sir, she is," Janet agreed and left after he dismissed her.

General George Hammond sat behind his large desk, lost in thought. The imminent arrival of Kate O'Neill was going to cause problems. Especially for his premier team. He could only hope that the team dynamic wouldn't suffer too much. And that Kate would provide the nudge that both Jack and Sam needed. Everything else was in place after all. All the non-couple of Stargate Command needed was the final nudge.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCS

Janet Frasier walked quickly back to her office. Not that she walked anywhere slowly. Being short meant that she had to walk quickly to keep up with other people and so she simply walked quickly everywhere. She had also learned that if she walked quickly people didn't try to stop her, and right now, there were four people she really didn't want to run into. She couldn't wait until Kate arrived; at least then, the waiting and worrying over how SG-1 and the rest of the base would react would be over. Also, when Kate arrived the surgical complement of the SGC would be full, it had taken seven years, but she would finally have more than two surgeons and herself. Janet didn't consider herself much of a surgeon, her specialty was infectious diseases, and over the years, her specialty had morphed into anything off world related. Kate O'Neill, however, specialized in surgery. If she had a subspecialty, it was probably meatball surgery. She had a knack for keeping horrifically injured patients alive; and at the SGC, that knack would be just as invaluable as it was in any MASH unit.

Reaching her office, Janet found Robert Field waiting for her. He was the surgeon she and Dr. Wagner, the soon-to-be-former Chief Surgeon, had passed up for the CS position.

"Dr. Frasier, I wanted a word with you," he said as soon as she walked into the infirmary.

"What about Bob?"

"The new CS, whomever it is that you choose for the position has not arrived and I know that the assignment was to start four days ago."

"Is there a question in there? Our new CS simply hasn't arrived. Many different things could have caused the delay."

"Yes, but it doesn't speak too much about his character does it? After all, being an Air Force doctor and not reporting on time to a new assignment? It's practically court-marshalable!"

"It would be, except I have a pretty good excuse, and it begins and ends with the fact that I'm not an Air Force doctor," Kate said, walking into the infirmary. Her long hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she was still wearing bloody scrubs with a BDU jacket. The dark circles under her eyes were almost the same shade as her eyes. All in all, she looked a tired mess. And after nearly a week with little to no sleep, she was.

"You are the new Chief Surgeon?" Dr. Field asked incredulously.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that Dr.?"

"Dr. Robert Field. And the only problem I have is you're not a military doctor and you're…"

"Young, gorgeous? Amazingly brilliant? Oforcryingoutloud, it's not because I'm a woman is it?" Kate was tired and rather cranky; she also really hated other doctors who thought women couldn't be as good or better than men.

"It's not that you're a woman, it's that I'm supposed to have your job!" Field's arrogant smugness was showing through completely, and neither Kate nor Janet liked it very much.

For the second time Kate uttered the classic O'Neill line, "Oforcryingoutloud, you don't like me because I'm the new CS? Janet makes the personal decisions in this infirmary, but I can make sure you're doing nothing easy, non-life threatening operations for a long time." This was accompanied by the O'Neill death glare.

"Yes, well we will be working together so you should know that I insist on cleanliness and perfection," Field smiled smugly.

"I'm usually semi-clean outside of the OR and as for perfection, I prefer to keep patients alive but I do love perfection in the OR as much as another surgeon.

Oh, wait, I'm sorry, I know your name, but you don't know mine. Dr. Kate O'Neill, so not reporting for duty," with a smirk she turned to Janet, "Jan, do I need to report in to anyone or anything?"

"I need to call the General and let him know that you're here. He may want to meet with you, and well, eventually you're going to have to tell the Colonel that you are the new doctor here."

"What, you won't do that for me?" Kate laughed; she knew that was going to be the defining moment of her first week here. How _he_ dealt with this change.

"Hell no, I'm not that crazy or suicidal. But, I will watch," Janet laughed as well, imagining how that meeting would go.

"We are good at making a scene aren't we? Oh well, he's never been mad at me for long, hopefully this time won't be any different. Besides, we've always had a good relationship, better than others in similar situations." Kate smiled remembering.

"A lot better than others, even ones who are considered normal," Janet smiled too. She had known Kate since the young woman had been med school and knew exactly what her relationship with Jack O'Neill was.

"What's normal? I've never been normal Janet, and frankly neither has he. What can I say; we love each other, no matter what. We've always had each other," Kate's smile turned bittersweet as the memories became darker and filled with loss.

"True. The two of you have stuck together. Dr. Field, don't you have somewhere to be? Kate, I'm going to call Hammond. Until I know what he wants you to do, why don't you catch some sleep? You look like you've been on your feet for days." Janet moved into her office as Kate stretched out on an infirmary bed, and Dr. Field rushed form the room, off to feed the base gossip mill the information of Kate O'Neill's arrival and the fact that she had some sort of relationship with the base 2IC. Janet sighed; the members of SG-1 would all be down here soon, demanding information. Except Teal'c, he would accept everything with or without an explanation, but Daniel would get the Jaffa to come with him.

It was shaping up to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:Thanks so much to all who reviewed. I can't believe that people seem to like this story, but okay, I'll keep going with it. This might be the last chapter for a while, I leave for school in the morning, and while I hope I'll be able to keep updating quickly, I don't know yet. Anyway here's chapter 3, and remember, please review. Reviews make me happy.

Chapter 3

Colonel Jack O'Neill stormed down the halls of the SGC. Knowing that going to Hammond's office to demand an explanation was a bad idea, even Hammond could not ignore the things Jack would do or say in this mood. So instead, he was heading to the infirmary. That's where _she_ would be.

He didn't not want Katie here, but it would complicate things immensely. Oh course, she had always complicated his life, but he still loved her. No one who met her couldn't not love her, well there was one person who had managed to not love her.

What made his mood worse was the fact that he would have to tell SG-1 about his relationship with Katie. And even though he was always proud of her and loved her completely, he was embarrassed. Not by her, no never by her, but by his own actions. His actions had embarrassed him years before and now they would again.

Worse still then just being embarrassed, being embarrassed in front of Sam. He had long ago stopped thinking of her as Carter, and even though he would never in a million years believe himself worthy of loving her or of even being with her, he was in love with her, his beautiful, brilliant 2IC, and he wanted desperately to unlock that room they had closed up 3 years before and tell her, but he couldn't.

Not now. She would have already heard the rumors of Katie. And if those rumors were anything like the ones he had heard she wouldn't be able to help coming to some kind of conclusion about him and Kate.

Even after he told her the truth, because he was going to tell the truth to his team, no matter how embarrassing it would be. She wouldn't want anything to do with him. She was already starting to move on, he refused to think of Pete as anything more than trying to make her brother happy and she had told him I wasn't serious, but after the truth came out she would let go completely.

Because Katie, though she was the most important person in his life, along with Sam, revealed him to be the bastard he was.

And it didn't reveal that Sam had changed him, made him better. Just like Katie did. Sam and Katie. Katie and Sam. What the hell was he supposed to do?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:Thank you to all who reviewed, I'm still in amazement that y'all like this story, but okay. I am now at school, and after four days cut off from the internet, I have finely seen all your reviews. A quick explanation though, I see jack as someone who is very confident in his public life and very insecure in his personal life. He also doesn't really think that Sam feels the same way about him, but he's hopeful. He is also fairly old-fashioned. If that helps anyone out I'm glad. Anyway, here's Chapter 4 for all you fine folks.

Remember, please review. Reviews make me happy.

Chapter 4

Sam didn't storm down the corridors to the infirmary. She didn't walk quickly or run down to the infirmary. After she first heard the rumors, always prefaced with 'Poor Maj. Carter' or 'that bastard O'Neill' she hid in her lab. Forcing herself to concentrate on what her latest doohickey was and did usually worked to distract her from whatever it was that Jack had done.

God, she even thought of him as Jack. Which would be okay since thinking of him as 'The Colonel' or 'Sir' was weird, but since she felt way more for him than friendship, it was a bit inappropriate. He was after all her CO and the only reason she hadn't asked him out to dinner seven years ago was that very huge fact along with those blasted frat regs.

Damnit so what if he had a relationship with this new doctor that he never told her-them about? What did it matter that the relationship had been going on secretly for years? She was supposed to be moving on. Or at least trying too. Except Pete wasn't him. Wasn't Jack and could never be as perfect for her as Jack.

Except that Jack's total non-reaction to learning about her relationship with Pete was understandable now. He was more than unattainable in that he was her CO, he was unattainable because he was in a relationship too, happy, well, happy outside of work, and in love with this Kate O'Neill. He said SG-1 was his family, his best friends, but he had never told them he had remarried. He had let her believe for years that he cared, that she meant more to him than just a good 2IC and a good friend. Damn him!

She had to see Janet. Janet would tell her what the truth was. She would know the truth, she would have been heavily involved in picking out Kate O'Neill to work here. But why not tell her? Sam had never actually told Janet about her feelings for Jack, but Janet knew anyway. And Janet was her best friend. Why didn't she tell me?

Getting up, Sam took the back route to the infirmary, keeping her 'good little Carter' expression on her face. I may be in love with that goddamned man, she thought, but no one except Janet and Cassie will ever know if he's hurt me, again.

Goddamn him! Why can't I get over him! she thought as she stood in front of the infirmary door, debating whether or not to go in. Finally, after telling herself several times that Carters don't cry and that Carters are not afraid, she squared her shoulders and walked out of the frying pan and into the fire.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:Thanks to all who reviewed. It really means a lot to me when people tell me what they think about my story. In some reviews and in other stories I've noticed quite a bit of anger towards Sam. I personally don't blame her for Pete, the lady deserves to be happy, and even though I thoroughly believe only Jack can truly make her happy, I will not begrudge her any happiness she manages to find in the meantime. Besides, Jack hasn't exactly been a stellar example for waiting over the years. Enough of that, here's chapter five, I hope you like and keep coming back for more. As always, remember to review, reviews make me happy. (And if I'm happy I update sooner.)

Chapter 5

The scene behind the infirmary door was amusing to say the least. All the major players were present, Daniel shooting evil glances at Jack; Teal'c looking stoic to everyone except those who knew him well stood impassively glaring at Jack a bit; Janet was trying to return some measure of peace to her infirmary; General Hammond stood silently, as if waiting for something; Jack stood by an infirmary bed with an embarrassed and flustered look on his face; and lying curled up on the bed asleep, was an unfamiliar dark-haired girl in scrubs and BDU's.

"Well," Janet began nervously, "General, Colonel, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, um, our new Chief Surgeon is here."

"Yes, I was able to find out where she's been the last few days. Dr. O'Neill has been very busy and very dedicated to her patients. In that she is her father's daughter," General Hammond said. "Dr. when does she have to be on duty?"

"I thought I'd let her get some sleep first. Between marathon OR sessions and changing time zones, she's not only dead tired, her body doesn't know what time it is. Things are quiet right now, and I'd rather have a Chief Surgeon whose alive rather than one whose barely functioning."

"Well then, I'll officially meet her later then," with that the General left the infirmary, leaving Janet to face SG-1 alone.

"So, come to meet the new doctor?" she said smiling nervously.

"Why her, Doc? Of all the surgeons in the world why Katie?" Jack asked needing to know why _she_ had been chosen.

"Because Colonel, of all the surgeons in the world, Kate O'Neill is not only the best but she's the best at what we need. I and the General know all the reasons why she shouldn't be here, but I'm tired of having to call and request she come in to "consult" all the time and be told that she's too busy or too far away. Hopefully her presence here on a full-time basis won't be a problem, but that's up to you Colonel, and up to the three of you," Janet spoke fast, her nervousness causing her to ramble.

"We've heard the rumors of who she is Jan, but what's the truth? Who is she?" Daniel asked, looking at Sam as if waiting for her to break down due to impatience.

"That's for the Colonel to say. So I'll leave the four-no five of you. Please try to keep it down, Kate really does need to sleep, and I really do need a functioning Chief Surgeon," with that Janet made her escape. Retreating to her office she shut the door and prayed that she and the General had made the right decision by bringing Kate here.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

"Well, who is she Jack?" Daniel asked point blank.

"Guess I have put off telling you guys long enough. Might want to pull up a chair though, it's a long story," Jack sat in the chair next to the bed Kate had crashed on. Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c all noticed how subdued and introverted he was, not at all like Jack usually was.

When all three were sitting, Jack cleared his throat and with his eyes fixed on a spot on the floor began.

"The rumors are all untrue. Except for the part where we have a relationship. Because we do, but not the kind of relationship the rumors say. Our relationship is a father-daughter one."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:Thank you so incredibly much to all those who reviewed. For those of you who are reading this and haven't reviewed, please do, I love getting reviews. I would like to especially thank SaffronAngel, your comments made me blush and made a very bad day a whole lot better. I would also like to mention Musings-of-Apathy, janissima, and kippling coft. I had sort of worked out the ages and all those problems in my head, and after the three of you (and anybody else who I forgot) questioned how Jack could have a daughter who was a medical doctor, I went back and worked it out on paper. It was a very annoying, stress-filled two days, especially since I already had this chapter written and did want to get it posted as soon as possible. So thank you, after I got done cursing you observant intelligent reviewers, I ended up with a detailed timeline of Kate's (and Jack's) life. Anyway, before we get to the story, the basis I am using for Jack age is that in season 1 "Brief Candle" he tells Kynthia that he is 40, I am going with the idea that each season is a year in the world of the SGC. So having said that, enjoy the story and please review. Reviews make me happy.

Chapter 6

"When I was in high school, my girlfriend Maria got pregnant. We were both sixteen and her parents refused to let her abort, which was what she wanted. So instead, we got married. Maria, however, wanted nothing to do with me or the baby. We weren't part of her grand plans. I was thrilled, everything the baby did was a miracle, _she_ was a miracle. Because Maria wanted nothing to do with the baby, I named her. Katherine Rose, my Grandmother O'Neill's name, but I've always called her Katie, most people call her Kate. I got a job, but very few people were willing to be associated with me. I couldn't hold down a steady job and we needed money. By the time I was 17 and Katie was 1 we were getting desperate, so I lied to an Air Force recruiter about my age. I knew I was taking a huge risk, but we needed the money, and it was a guaranteed paycheck.

Things with Maria had been bad before I left for basic, but they just got worse. Halfway into my first tour, she sent the divorce papers. Because I was unable to go to court, my grandparents, John and Kit O'Neill represented me. Maria made it very clear that she did not want custody of Katie so I received full custody, with my grandparents acting as her legal guardians until I came home. If I didn't come home then they would remain her legal guardians until she turned 18.

When I got home, Katie was almost five years old. I stayed in the Air Force and with a lot of help from teammates, CO's and their families, Katie and I managed while I was in Black Ops. It got easier when I married Sara, but by then Katie was 11 and we were both used to our unique way of life.

Katie became a doctor and moved around all the time, so we didn't have much time together, but she writes and calls when she can. And now she's here. And I can't decide if she's safer here or back in Iraq." Jack's voice trailed off, and for a few moments absolute silence filled the room. Then Kate, lying on her side facing away from her father, turned to face him.

"I'm much safer here. Can't get burned by the sun under a mountain can I? Can't turn into a soggy piece of fungus under a mountain can I? Aliens, weird energy weapons, and annoying arrogant doctors I can handle. I'm home, I'm with you, therefore I'm safe," Kate said sleepily.

"Since when do you do sweet and nice?" Jack teased his daughter.

"Since I'm so tired I don't know which way is up. And since I do want your friends to like me. I have a bad feeling we'll all be meeting often, and frankly I'd rather be friends with you guys," she said directing her last statement to the rest of SG-1.

"Jack, why didn't you tell us? I mean the number of times you've gone missing, she had a right to know," Daniel turned to Jack, not angry, just sad, and disappointed. After all, he was one of Jack's best friends and he hadn't even known that the man had a daughter.

"Before the first mission, the only thing that had kept me from pulling the trigger was Katie. I couldn't let her get a call from Sara saying that I'd killed myself, and I couldn't let possibly let Katie be the one to find my body if…if I had gone through with it. During the first mission, it was easier to let go, I knew that she'd been living with the possibility of the phone call her whole life. Hell, she'd gotten the phone call at least three times before. But I still couldn't do it, you helped me realize that Daniel, that I couldn't leave her. When the SGC started up again a year later, there didn't seem to be a point to telling you guys. We had enough trouble learning to trust each other and we were all trying, failing mostly, to keep our personal lives away from the team. And as for all the times I've been missing, Katie has still gotten the calls, right?"

""Yeah Dad, I got the calls. Dr. Jackson, I've always been in Dad's file as a person to contact if…if things go wrong. Every time for the last seven years, it has been Janet or General Hammond making the call. I've known Janet since I was in med school, so sometimes, she would be the one to call me."

"Please call me Daniel, hardy anyone calls me Dr. Jackson. Still, it should have been one of us making that call to you. We're Jack's team, it should have been us."

"I appreciate the sentiment Daniel, but having gotten that call quite a few times, I can tell you one thing. It doesn't matter who is telling you the news, it's still the same and its still the worst moment in your life. It does not matter if it's your Dad's best friend or his 2IC, or his CO, or even his doctor, the news is the same and nothing the person says makes you feel any better."

"How is this going to work? Medically I mean?" Sam asked, burying her anger at Jack for not telling her and focusing on problems she could understand.

"Well, I'm ethically not allowed to operate on Dad. So one of the other surgeons will work on Dad when he gets hurt, because let's face it, he will get hurt, it's inevitable. However, I can operate on the three of you, so that's how it will work. Besides, I've come in before to 'consult' and it has never been a problem, and I don't anticipate it becoming one now."

"When have you been in before? I don't remember you," Daniel asked trying desperately to remember if he had ever seen her before.

"You probably don't remember me Daniel. I tend to come only when there are lots of patients who need help, and besides it's been at least four years since my last consult."

"Why lots of patients? And we've have several situations with lots of surgery patients in the last four years, so why not pull you in?" Daniel asked.

"My specialty, if you can call it that, is meatball surgery. I'm fast and good at keeping patients alive so that's why I tend to deal with lots of patients. And it's been four years because this is my first time back stateside since the US went into Afghanistan. When we went into Iraq I was pulled from Afghanistan, and sent in with the first MASH unit. Because I've been so far away and because the military thought I was needed more over there, every time Janet tried to get me in here to help out she got denied."

"Wait, MASH units are Army. Why would the Army hand over one of their doctors to the Air Force?" Sam asked, a lifetime of watching her father deal with turf wars between the branches making her aware to a reality of the military not apparent to Daniel.

'Because Major, I'm not Army. I'm not Air Force either. I'm part of the Civilian Consultants Program."

"What's that?" Daniel asked, intrigued.

"The CCP is a group of doctors who are civilians who are sent to war zones or other not so nice parts of the world. I work with the military, I work for the military, but I'm not military and they only tell me where to go. The major bonus is I get to be as insubordinate as I want, I don't need this job, I can work in any hospital I want, I get job offers with VERY nice salaries every week. The military, however, needs me. So they've learned to deal."

"Is this wise, an O'Neill on base who can't be told to hold her tongue and doesn't have to follow regs?" Daniel grinned, Jack was bad enough, how on earth was General Hammond going to deal with Kate?

"This will indeed be most interesting KateO'Neill. Welcome to the SGC," Teal'c said, bowing his head and smiling ever so slightly, giving the new doctor his seal of approval.

From her office Janet watched as SG-1 began to accept Kate. Sam seemed a bit reserved still, but Janet knew Sam, and knew Kate. They would be friends soon; they just needed to adjust first. Yup, Janet thought, the SGC just got more than it bargained for. Because with Kate O'Neill around nothing was ever peaceful or easy.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:I wasn't planning to put this up for a few more days, but, well, I love reviews and you wonderful amazing people have been so nice with this story, that I decided to post this chapter now. Oh yes, zsuszu, sparks between Kate and Field? I didn't realize I had written any, cause honestly I don't even like the guy. However, if people tell me that they want some sparkage between the two, I'll see what I can do. That's a hint to review, by the way, cause if you don't I really will continue writing Field as an absolute ass. An Kittn did you mean that KATE has no self restraint? Which after how little sleep she's had up to this point, a lack of is understandable. Anyway thanks for the reviews, as you can see I do read them. Remember please review. Reviews make me happy.

Chapter 7

Gloria Fordman had been a nurse at the SGC for seven years. She remembered all the times that Kate O'Neill had flow in from various military hotspots to help Dr. Frasier with one medical emergency or another. Personally, she liked the energetic civilian, and thought she was extremely funny. Nurse Fordman also didn't care about Dr. O'Neill's last name. She didn't care if the doctor was some sort of relation or other to Col. O'Neill. The lady did her job, she was dedicated to her patients and what was best for them, and she treated all nurses with respect. Dr. Frasier and Dr. Warner did also, but Gloria had always been able to sense that for some reason, Kate O'Neill had even more respect for nurses than the other two senior doctors at the SGC did. That respect and even admiration that Kate O'Neill displayed had long ago earned her the mutual respect of the nursing staff. Normally the leaders of the rumor mill, the nurses had not participated in spreading the word of Dr. O'Neill's arrival. And that respect was why Gloria had taken it upon herself to acquire clean BDU's from supply for the young doctor. Gloria knew the icky feel that BDU's and scrubs acquired after you've worn them for several days, and from the brief glimpse she'd gotten in the infirmary, the new doctor had been on her feet in OR for days.

Other people at the SGC would have taken an opportunity like this to haze the new doctor, or to show her exactly _how_ protective they all were of Maj. Carter. Gloria, however, just wanted to help the tall brunette feel somewhat welcome in a hostile new place.

On her way back to the infirmary, Gloria stopped at the commissary. A cup of coffee would also help the exhausted doctor, who she remembered once saying, "With coffee, all things are possible."

When she arrived back at the infirmary, she had to smile. SG-1 was obviously trying to accept her, the Colonel looked vulnerable and scared (something Gloria never thought she'd see, even after being tortured by Ba'al, the Colonel hadn't cracked to revel the man inside) and Kate looked like she could use a hand in fending off the zillions of questions Dr. Jackson could ask in a minute. Help in fending off the cute archaeologist, Gloria couldn't give, but with coffee and clean clothes she could at least help her new boss feel vaguely human again.

"Ma'am?" Gloria quietly approached the group.

"Yes, Lt. Fordman?" Kate asked, reading Gloria's nametag.

"Some hot coffee and clean BDU's ma'am."

"Thanks a million Lt. I know I desperately need both."

"Well ma'am, I've had to wear scrubs for days on end a few times, and in the end it is never a fun feeling. If you like the infirmary showers are behind you, third door on the right."

"Lt. a hot shower, hot coffee, and clean clothes? You must have missed the rumor mill; I'm the second most hated person on this base!"

"The nursing staff remembers you ma'am. Anyone as good as you who still respects us and the patients, we feel we can stand behind. Besides we've been waiting for someone to put Field in his place and keep him there."

"Nice to know I'm good for something." Kate grinned and hopped off the infirmary bed and grabbed the clothes from where Gloria had set them next to the coffee. Before she entered the shower doors, Kate turned back to the nurse, "Lt.? Next time Dr. Field disrespects you or any of the other nurses I want you to inform me. I don't tolerate that kid of disrespect with my surgeons. Good nurses are hard to find and all nurses take enough crap from people all day, the least us doctors can do is give a ton of respect and listen to what you have to say. Sometimes I think nurses spend more time in med school than doctors!" With that final quip and a typical O'Neill half-grin/half-smirk, Kate disappeared into the showers, where her first hot shower in four years awaited her.

Gloria ducked her head at Kate's complement, than before the members of SG-1 could begin to grill her for information, she slipped away and resumed her duties.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Ten minutes later, Kate emerged from the room freshly showered and wearing truly clean clothes for the first time in she didn't know how long. After tossing the scrubs in the 'soiled linens' container she sat down on the infirmary bed next to her father, again. "Is the coffee still hot?" she asked as she picked up the cup and cautiously sipped it.

"Well we just spent the last ten minutes keeping Danny boy here from drinking it by accident, so you'll have to tell us." Jack grinned at his daughter; he still wasn't too sure about her being at the SGC, and despite what they had been telling him for the last few minutes, he wasn't sure SG-1 could handle working with her. And since Sam hadn't stepped out of her 'perfect 2IC' routine, he couldn't tell if he and Sam could survive the sheer fact that he had a daughter. Especially a daughter who was practically the same age as Sam. Even as worried as he privately was about his two worlds colliding, he couldn't help but grin at his Katie as she savored the first cup of decent coffee she'd had in a while, and since it was the horrific stuff they served in the commissary, he shuddered at the thought of the sludge she'd been living on for the last few years.

His enjoyment of watching Katie savor the coffee was broken when the klaxons started going off and Sgt. Harriman's voice rang out over the PA system, "Unauthorized off-world activation. Repeat unauthorized off-world activation." SG-1 sprang to their feet and Janet emerged from her office.

"Nine times out of ten that means us Kate," She said, hoping her new CS wasn't so tired that she couldn't perform surgery if need be. While SG-1 had already left for the control room, Kate and Janet readied the carts, gurneys, and people they might need if a med team was called to the Gate Room.

Sure enough, as Robert Field sauntered into the infirmary and took a seat, a med team was called. When Field didn't automatically go for the door with the rest of the emergency personnel, Kate turned on him.

"Get on your feet Field! What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?"

"I'm coming, girl. Hold your horses," he muttered slowly rising to his feet."

"Oforcryingoutloud! Move it Field or I will have you out of here before you can say Stargate!" With that, Kate wasted no more time on the surly doctor, racing to catch up with the rest of her team.

"Don't mind him ma'am," Gloria Fordman grinned at her as they ran to the Gate room, "he's an ass."

"Yeahsureyabetcha," Kate tossed back before the group of doctors and nurses entered the Gate room.

When the doors opened most found themselves in shock. Never had they seen this many refugees and SGC personnel injured before. Kate took it all in stride, all too used to scenes like the one before her. Quickly organizing a triage the group set about finding the worst of the injured to get into surgery. Kate's long trained eye quickly found the most badly injured man. None of the doctors or nurses had yet to notice him and the refugees and SGC teams were avoiding him; but Kate, a doctor to the core, approached.

"I need a gurney over here now!" she called. "This guy's first, chest and head wounds." When no one seemed to hear her, she repeated her order in a tone she had learned from her father years before. As always, it worked and a gurney was brought by to members of SG-2.

"Ma'am, he's a Goa'uld!" one said, Kate didn't care which.

"Doesn't matter gentlemen. I have a duty to all life. Not just the forms of life we like."

Nodding they accepted what she said, they knew who this lady was and if she was anything like Jack O'Neill, angry was not the mood they wanted her in, and they helped her get the injured man onto the gurney. As she was rushing out with the wounded man, Kate didn't notice as they passed by Teal'c, who had come to carry people to the infirmary. She missed the look of recognition on his face, and since she didn't know his recent history, wouldn't have cared much if she had. She was too wrapped up in trying to save a dying man's life.

She didn't know who the injured man was. But Teal'c did.

It was Tanith.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N:Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who reviewed. If you didn't review, please do, I really love reviews. I am going to explain why Tanith is alive, again. I am also a fan of _Highlander_, and Methos, aside from being a totally awesome character, is to me, very hot. I couldn't just let him stay dead in the Stargate universe, and besides, Teal'c shows obvious emotions because of Tanith, I really just couldn't pass up the opportunity. I also need to apologize right now to any doctors or nurses or otherwise medical-type people out there. I know nothing about medicine. I watch, and love, _House_ and _MASH_, that's where I am getting most of my knowledge from. Remember, please review. Reviews make me happy.

Chapter 8

The next twelve hours were a blur, patient after patient, hour after hour. As first days went Kate thought this one was pretty bad, but unable to control the events and people around her, she let it go. In her mind, worrying about what she could not control was pointless, besides she had enough worrying to do about the things within her realm of control. Her habit of joking in the OR had angered Field barely an hour into the session. Luckily Janet and Warner had similar senses of humor so the three of them were quickly cracking up the nurses.

She had been lead surgeon on the patient they had been told was a host. Janet had assisted actively on that one. Not because she usually needed it, but because it was tricky trying to keep the host alive and help the snake as much as possible. Janet had also told her _who_ the patient was and that there might be trouble. She really hated cultures with strong revenge aspects. It really was just asking for trouble.

And so twelve hours after entering the OR, thirteen hours after arriving at the SGC, and thirty-five patients in her first day Kate O'Neill stepped out of the Operating Room. And was immediately faced with an enraged Teal'c and the rest of SG-1 standing silently behind their Tin Man.

"Where is Tanith? Where is the treacherous being who murdered Shan'auc?" he thundered.

For the past twelve hours, the entire SGC had avoided Teal'c, all deathly afraid of his anger. Even his team had stayed away, hoping that Teal'c would calm down but knowing deep down that only Tanith's permanent death would assuage him. Kate, on the other hand, didn't care that Teal'c wanted revenge. And his anger and thundering voice which could cause Generals and the most battle hardened veterans shake with fear, only caused her hackles to raise. "If you mean where is _my_ badly injured patient, then the answer is that he is in the infirmary recovering from surgery and massive trauma. I think the host will recover, but I'm worried about the snake."

"Do not bother yourself much with saving him. His death whether at my hands or that of his former masters will finally avenge Shan'auc."

As Teal'c was speaking a nurse and the other surgeons emerged from the infirmary, all still in scrubs, as Kate was. General Hammond also approached the group from the direction of the elevators.

"General," Kate began as he reached the group, "I need you to contact the Tok'ra."

"I wasn't aware any of the patients were Tok'ra, Dr. O'Neill. Why do you need their assistance?"

"Because, I can't remove a snake without killing the host or failing to free the host completely." She said, trying to control her sarcasm.

"Wow, an O'Neill admitting to limitations, you sure she's your daughter Jack?" Daniel asked.

Now Kate was just getting fed up. She had the General and Teal'c to deal with; she didn't need Daniel getting in on it too. Ignoring all of the non-medical personnel, Kate took the clipboard the nurse was still holding and glanced at it. Ah, it was the Duty Roster for the surgical staff.

"Warner, you have the first shift, Field second, and Jan you have third. Each shift is six hours, so Field get some sleep. Jan, your going home for the next twelve. Warner, if you need me I'll be crashing for a few hours on base. Also no one is to allow Teal'c in the infirmary."

"KateO'Neill, you cannot bar me from the infirmary or from doing my duty!"

"Yes I can Teal'c. You are barred from the infirmary until that poor man is freed from Tanith, or until I have failed completely and he has died from his injuries."

"I must avenge her death KateO'Neill and Tanith must die so that she is avenged. You will not keep me from my duty." With that, Teal'c began to move towards the infirmary door. And shocking everyone, who thought Kate would give in to the former First Prime as most everyone did, she instead moved in front of him, blocking the doorway to her domain. She had inherited her height from her mother, and while tall for a woman at five foot six inches, she was completely dwarfed by Teal'c.

"No. You will not go into the infirmary and you _will not_ harm that man. If you want revenge then speak to the Tok'ra about what punishment they can give the snake once they have removed it. But you will not harm the man. General, call the Tok'ra, tell them we have a host and need to remove the Goa'uld. Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, would you please escort your teammate off this level?" Turning, Kate went into the infirmary and after the other doctors had followed her in, she sighed heavily.

"Okay, we need to keep Teal'c away from the host. In fact, only medical personnel and the Tok'ra, once they get here, are allowed near him. I don't think Teal'c will get someone else to 'fulfill his duty' after all, revenge is a very personal thing, but tactically, if he can't get in here, he might have to delegate."

"Kate, Teal'c is extremely honorable and honor-bound. He will kill Tanith himself, he's been denied this almost too long," Janet did know SG-1 best of all the doctors at the SGC.

"I know Jan, but he wasn't Apophis's First Prime just because he's strong. He is also a master tactician and strategist. That means he _can_ pull off his revenge if wants and it means we have to be very smart. During your shifts, keep both eyes on Tanith. And do we know the name of the host? Yeah, need to get that. Warner, you have the conn. Field, Jan, get some sleep."

"You get some sleep too Kate. Outthinking Teal'c will be impossible if you can't think." Janet smiled at her.

"What's a conn?" Field asked as they left.

"The bridge of a submarine. Kate has spent some time with submariners. And throughout her life she's picked up lots of lingo from all the branches."

"Ah, well, she's in the Air Force now, not the Navy. She should use our terminology."

As he walked away from her, Janet muttered under her breath, "Field, you're an ass."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer:Yeah, I borrow a line from the Love Spit Love song "How Soon is Now?" if anyone watches _Charmed_ the song is the song from the opening credits, and you'll recognize the line. I didn't want to use it, but it fits. Um, there's also a line from the pilot episode of _MacGyver_, which I also don't own.

A/N:Thanks to all who reviewed. You have made me very very happy. Vid Z, I know that women don't serve on subs, in fact my muse and I had quite an argument over whether or not to put that line in. So I thank you for knowing that fact, and I will say this, I never said that Kate had been on a submarine, I said that she had worked with submariners before, you inferred that I meant she had been on a sub, I never said it. But still, great catch, and please keep reviewing. To anyone who wants to win, well nothing excepts props, try to find the line from the song and the line from _MacGyver_. Remember, please review. Reviews make me happy.

Chapter 9

"Well that was weird," Daniel commented as he walked away from the infirmary with the rest of SG-1.

"What was weird?" Jack asked. He had seen Katie stand up to people many times. He had even seen her end the careers of officers who were needlessly risking their men. Though, he thought, I never thought I'd see her, or anyone for that matter, stand up to Teal'c like that. He was impressed and immensely proud of her, but for the life of him, he couldn't see anything weird about the exchange they had just witnessed.

"She called you Colonel O'Neill, Jack. And she gave an order that you didn't even question. I don't think I've ever seen that." Daniel stared at his best friend in amazement. He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely acknowledge Teal'c and Sam when they left the group to kel'nor'reem and 'get back to work' respectively. Continuing to walk with Jack Daniel tried to puzzle it all out. Jack didn't even think Kate's actions or words had been odd, of course, this was the same man who hadn't told his _best friend_ about his daughter. It didn't make sense to Daniel, Jack could occasionally talk to him about Charlie, his dead son, but he wouldn't even tell anyone that he had a living daughter? It didn't make any sense. His behavior while telling them about Kate didn't make sense either, Daniel thought. Suddenly though, Daniel put together the pieces. Jack's odd introspective, almost ashamed behavior while telling them about his daughter, his complete lack of mentioning her to them over the last seven years, he was ashamed. Not of his daughter, no his pride in her was evident, if you knew how to read Jack O'Neill, but he was ashamed that she had been born when he was just 16. He was ashamed that she had had to live without a mother who loved her for 11 years; even though he didn't personally know Sara O'Neill, Daniel knew enough about her to know that she would have loved Kate as her own. He was ashamed that she had ever had to know what a single-parent household was like, that she'd been the one waiting nervously for him to come home from mission for her entire life.

Daniel knew his friend, knew that he would have put everything he had into his first family, Maria and Kate; knew that Jack did believe that marriage was supposed to be forever, even he had had his fall apart on him, twice now. For all the things that Jack was intensely ashamed of, Daniel was intensely jealous and envious of. Kate, though raised by a single father, and then stepmother, had been raised surrounded by love and protected from all things bad and evil in the world, at least as much as possible. Because that was the way Jack was with children. He was warm and loving and extremely protective. Kate, Daniel realized, for all that her life had undoubtedly been weird, had experienced a better childhood than any of the members of SG-1 could lay claim too. Hers hadn't been cut short by responsibility, hadn't been marred by tragedy, and she and Jack seemed to have a terrific relationship, much better than even Sam and Jacob's was these days.

When he realized that he and Jack were still walking and had in fact almost reached his lab, Daniel spoke up, "Let's go in my lab. We have some stuff to discuss." Though Jack really didn't want to talk at the moment, he knew better than to say no to Daniel when he was like this. He'd just come to bug Jack later and not drop whatever subject he'd chosen until he felt he had succeeded at getting them to do whatever it was he wanted. So reluctantly, Jack and Daniel entered the one room in the entire base that could put any museum or library to shame. As soon as he'd closed the door, for this was not a conversation he thought Jack would want overheard, he began, "Jack, I get that you feel ashamed in some way for having a child only 16 years your junior. But you shouldn't. I think that Kate must have had the best and happiest childhood out of the four members of SG-1. Whatever stigmas the two of you ran into over the years, you need to remember that those ways of thinking are dead, for the most part. But is that why talk about Kate even less than you talk about Charlie? Because of shame forced on you by others?"

"Daniel, I don't want to talk about this." Everything about Jack, voice tone, body language, facial expressions, screamed at Daniel to drop the subject. Daniel being Daniel, however, just ignored it.

"Jack, how many times have you said that SG-1 is a family? Families, at least the ones I know, accept and work through things together. And we will accept this. But we can't just accept it with one explanation. Besides, you raising Kate, it didn't just affect her, it affected you too. So in a way we have to reaccept you while we're accepting Kate and the whole idea of you having another child. Another child who is grown and well respected and very good at what she does. And not only is she all that, but she also has a father who loves her unconditionally for who she is and is proud of her. And don't try to deny that last part, I've known you too long to not be able to read you."

"Yes, I am proud of Katie, and yes, I love her unconditionally. She's her own person, even if she does occasionally act like me. And…you're right. I don't tell people about Katie because of the assumptions people make. About me and about her. I also don't tell because until eight years ago I had never lived the life of a bachelor. Even after Maria and I divorced, I had Katie with me, well after I got back from … a very bad place I had Katie with me. My entire existence for years was defined by my relationship with Katie. Everything suddenly feels like it was when Katie was little. Back when our identities were dependent on each other. Back when we were so dependent on each other that sometimes I felt that my teammates knew her as well as they knew me. And even though I loved her completely, even though I have always felt that she truly is the very best of me, and a whole lot of somebody else because I'm certainly not _that_ good, but I have liked my independence from her over the last few years. Did I make a mistake yes, but she is not a mistake, she has never been a mistake, and never will be viewed as a mistake. Are we done here, Daniel? Or do you want more?"

"No Jack, I guess we are done here. Look, I have long accepted you for you, as has everyone else here. You worlds are colliding yes, but SG-1 can survive this. Can the SGC survive two O'Neill's that's a whole 'nother ball game," Daniel drawled.

As Jack opened the door, he turned back, much as Katie had done earlier, "Thanks Daniel."

"For what?"

"For…everything, including not judging me."

"That's what friends are for Jack."

"Still, thanks." With that Jack slipped out of Daniel lab, and headed to Teal'c's quarters. He knew his friend, and knew that his anger would not have abated. Jack's need to protect his daughter included protecting her from the wrath of a former First Prime.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCGSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSG

When Jack entered Teal'c's quarters he found his friend sitting on the floor, glaring at the wall, not mediating. Even though Teal'c didn't need to kel'nor'reem any longer he still found it helpful in controlling his emotions and understanding himself. But right now, he was obviously far to enraged to mediate. "Your daughter is most like you O'Neill. Very stubborn," he said rage hidden, but not abated.

Cracking a half-smile, Jack looked at his friend, "That she is. But she also has a point. Taking your revenge now will only harm the host. The host is as much a victim in all this as Shan'auc, after all, the poor guy thought he was agreeing to share his body, not be made a prisoner. We have no idea if Tanith ever actually let the host speak, Teal'c. Katie also takes oaths very seriously. She swore to protect all life, and that's what she will do. She is going to do everything in her power to heal and protect her patient. Even if it means possibly alienating my friends, more than I've already done. She'll do what she has do."

"Indeed she will my brother. And I will do what I must to avenge Shan'auc. KateO'Neill's loyalty and her belief in the seriousness of oaths is obviously a tribute to her upbringing. You have much to be proud of O'Neill."

"Indeed I do. And much to be ashamed of. But believe me Teal'c, she won't stop at anything if it means keeping her patient alive and safe. For the sake of the sanity of the base, it might be a good idea if you give up on the idea of revenge until the snake is out of the poor guy's head."

"I wish I could O'Neill. But Neither I nor the memory of Shan'auc will be appeased until her murderer has faced punishment."

"Okay, then. But don't say I didn't tell that nothing in this galaxy is going to help you if she catches you trying to hurt that guy."

"Indeed I shall remember this O'Neill."

Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere, and knowing that Katie would be, well, as enraged as Teal'c was if she ever found out that he was trying to protect her. She often said that he was almost too overprotective of the people he loved. His only defense against that was that he let Sam go off-world into battle situations nearly every week. Of course if Sam ever found out that he had even thought that she would kick his ass across the galaxy and then blow him to smithereens.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

While Jack went to talk to Teal'c, Daniel decided to head to Sam's lab to see how she was dealing, or not dealing, with everything. When he got to her lab, she was sitting at her worktable, looking at a small hand sized gizmo that SG-3 had brought back the previous week. To anyone who didn't know Sam as well as the rest of SG-1 did, she appeared to be absorbed in her study of the alien technology. Daniel, however, could see that she wasn't even thinking about the device, really she was only looking at it to fool anyone who happened to walk into (or by) her lab, into thinking that she was working. "Hey Sam, how are you doing with all of this?"

"With all of what Daniel," she evaded the question. Just as Daniel had truly expected her too. If anything, Jack and Sam were the two hardest people to get to talk about how they felt. He'd actually gotten Jack to talk, though he also thought that those thoughts and feelings had been building in Jack for years and had been causing him quite a bit of guilt that perhaps he didn't need to feel. Still he figured getting Sam to talk was going to be impossible, but he still needed to try, and whether or not she wanted to, Sam needed to talk to someone about everything that had happened and been reveled in the last day.

"With Kate, and all that, how are you doing?"

"I don't know Daniel. How should I be doing with all of these revelations?"

"Sam, I mean, how are you doing in terms of your relationship with Jack?"

"What relationship, Daniel? As his 2IC I wish he had told me, but we don't have a relationship beyond that."

"You two are friends."

"Are we Daniel?"

"Well, if you hadn't decided to start dating Pete…"

"Then what, Daniel? What would we be? Maybe we waited too long, I don't know. We're only human Daniel. I'm only human. And I need to be loved; loved more than as a friend or a sister. Pete can give that to me. He can't. I don't even know if he cares that much anymore. Listen, Daniel, I need to get back to work. I'll see you later."

As Daniel walked out of Sam's lab, his shoulders slumped, and by the time he reached his lab, he collapsed in his chair. Slumping down so no one could see him, and feeling utterly defeated. He could see that both his friends' feelings for each other had only grown deeper over the years, even if they couldn't see it. If they would only stop denying their feelings everything would work out. After all, they were SG-1, they could do the impossible, so why couldn't the two people who most deserved to be happy, find a way to achieve that happiness?


	10. Chapter 10

A/N:Thank you to the people who reviewed. I love getting them. Anyway, the answer to the question "where is the MacGyver quote?" is, when Daniel says "that's a whole 'nother ball game." It's not much, but I love the opening gambit for the pilot episode, mainly I love listening to the voice-over, but that's another story. Anyway, y'all have been begging for Sam's reaction to everything that has happened in the story, so here it is. Please review, I like reviews. They make me very happy.

Chapter 10

Later that night Sam sat in her darkened lab, which normally hummed with energy. She sat not at her worktable, or at her computer, but in the far corner, where the angles formed by her filing cabinets had created a private space blocked from the view of the security cameras. She sat, staring blankly at the wall, not really physically seeing anything; she was completely lost in thought. Normally she would go out for a run or go for a ride on her bike if she needed to do some heavy thinking, but either of those options involved going home. Where Pete was. She knew perfectly well that she was settling, knew that she didn't love Pete the way that he loved her. No the only person she loved that much was Jack, but lately he didn't seem to care. Of course it wasn't like they had any kind of agreement or understanding. No, she had closed the door to that room, locked it, and now she had no clue where the key was. Back then leaving it in the room had seemed like a good idea. After all, even though her feelings had been growing stronger and deeper for the last four years before that awful test, she hadn't been sure at the time if it was just a silly girl crush or even just hero-worship. Besides, she had also been terrified of her feelings back then. She had a horrible history of getting involved with men who ended up hurting her in some way. And in some ways, Jack and Jonas, her crazy ex-fiancé, were amazingly similar. Both were handsome, charismatic men who had been heavily involved in Black Ops for a great many years. And even though she knew, and in some ways had always known, that Jack would never hurt her, she didn't quite believe it. After all, knowing something and believing something are two totally different things. So scared of being hurt again, of finding out that Jack was like Jonas, she had shut the door before it had done more than crack open.

But the feelings hadn't gone away, they had instead gotten stronger and deeper. It was to the point that she really didn't feel complete without him, and for the modern liberated woman that she was supposed to be, that was a contradiction. She supposed the women who said that they didn't need anybody, especially a man, had never met someone like Jack O'Neill. Someone who let you be you, but also was going to be there if you happened to fall. Sam had never placed much store in the idea of soul mates, until she met Jack and had realized, years later, that she was completely head over heels, desperately, in love with him. And that was saying a lot, especially since he irritated her to no end sometimes. Like with that dumb act, ha! The man was far more intelligent than he let on and it had taken a long time for Sam to find out just how intelligent. Of course, having grown up in the Air Force, she had contacts on almost every base in the US (and a few out of country as well) and as a General's daughter she had learned how to sweet talk others into doing her bidding. It had taken five years to get her hands on the information she wanted. It would have been sooner but that blasted man had managed to semi-classify and terrify into silence all those who knew how smart and how much education he really had. But finding out that her "dumb as a box of rocks" CO had three doctorates, spoke 19 languages, and was a lot more than an "amateur" astronomer, had made the wait worth it. Especially since she now knew for sure that he really did understand most if not all of what she and Daniel said. And when he argued with Daniel about Daniel's "rocks" it was all she could do to keep from cracking up most of the time.

But not telling anyone and in fact trying to hide his intelligence was very Jack O'Neill. Just like not telling them that he had a grown daughter was something that didn't surprise her. But at the same time, it was better than a wife he hadn't told them, her really, about. She knew that she had no right to feel betrayed by Jack for not telling her, but she did. After al, he was supposed to care! She did, and even though Pete was nice he wasn't Jack. She had practically told him it wasn't serious with Pete. In fact Pete had come to Colorado Springs this weekend because she had asked him too, she had decided that even though she liked him, her heart firmly belonged to Jack and her relationship with Pete wasn't fair to any of the three of them. But now, instead of going home to see Pete and break things off with him, she was hiding in her lab! Finding out about Kate had reminded her of how much she _didn't_ know about Jack. Damnit! It wasn't like they had a relationship! Why the hell did this feel like a betrayal? Why did it hurt so much?

Because, the little voice in her head said, you're only human. And you're still terrified of having any kind of relationship with him, and of telling him how you feel. You've been hurt so many times that now you'd rather hurt him before he has a chance to hurt you.

And, she reasoned with herself, she didn't care that he had a daughter. The feelings of betrayal came from him not _telling_ her about his daughter, not from him _having_ a daughter. Mostly she had been shocked over the last day, but her ire was directed at him for a different reason than some might assume.

Damn that man and his complete unwillingness to talk! To her, to Daniel, to anyone! And most of all damn herself for closing that door!

Standing up, she got her emotions under control before leaving her lab. It was time to end things with Pete. In a way it didn't matter if she and Jack managed to sort themselves out, because she was tired of this charade she was living. And she was tired of hurting herself. If he heart was going to belong to the worlds most unattainable man, fine, but she was going to stop lying to others about he availability of her heart.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. To those of you who haven't yet reviewed, please do, I really just love getting them, they make my day. Have fun, enjoy the chapter, and remember, please review. Reviews make me happy.

Chapter 11

Having slept a bit, Kate had returned to the infirmary and now sat next to the Goa'uld, Tanith. Nursing a cup of coffee, she simply stared at the man whose life she was so desperately tying to save. She had gone to these same lengths before to save a patient, and a few times for patients who were supposed to be her enemy, but never for a man who was truly trapped in his own body.

What also worried her, and was causing her insomnia, an old chronic condition of hers that her own doctors had hated when she was a child, was that instead of going up against the brass or even suits, she was now pitted against her father's friends in this fight for the life of the host. She was fairly sure that she was not fighting her father, but growing up with Jack O'Neill had taught her unshakeable loyalty, and she only had her belief and hope that in this case his love and loyalty to her would supersede his loyalty to his team and perhaps even his cause.

As she had done hundreds of times when worrying for particular patients, and even the one time she had sat by her own father's bed, not just as his daughter, but also as his doctor, she sat. And turned over and over in her active mind all the ways Teal'c could still get his revenge. Growing up surrounded by Air Force Special Operations Group 9 had taught her more than the average layman knew about Special Ops tactics, but she knew that she didn't know enough. Luck, and maybe reason, would keep this man safe until the Tok'ra arrived. If they arrived.

She had not guarantees of that, she knew from Janet that the Tok'ra were spotty in their visits to the SGC, and couldn't always be trusted. Janet and Warner had told her about how the Tok'ra had used Tanith. Told her about how once he was no longer useful they had planned to remove him from the host, but how that plan had gone south like a duck in winter. Without any guarantees of Tok'ra assistance, Kate was mentally preparing herself for a surgery that she knew could kill her patient. Warner was pulling the video from Major Kawalsky's surgery seven years before, and he was going to walk her through it, but they has no guarantees. And even after seven years of fighting the Goa'uld, they knew so little. The only thing they knew for certain, was that being a host was having a adverse affect on the host's health. Damnit, she really needed a name for this guy. Calling him 'the host' was too impersonal. She needed some kind of personal connection to him, even if it was just a name.

Without a personal connection, she felt nothing for this man. And long ago at a teaching hospital in Princeton, New Jersey, where she had spent a few weeks, she had learned that the personal connection with patients was key. Of course she had also learned that everybody lies and sometimes a doctor has to take a step back and not be involved, in any way, with the patient. Her contradictory lessons from those long weeks at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital had eventually been what decided her on her own future. And the enigmatic, sarcastic, brilliant doctor who had treated her and constantly reminded her of her father, would surely have something to say about a surgeon who worked for someone who had a specialty in diagnostic medicine. That was the other reason Janet had been chosen for the job of Chief Medical Officer of Cheyenne Mountain, she had trained with that medical version of Jack O'Neill. This was why she was the best at figuring out what was afflicting the members of the SGC, and in figuring out how to cure them. And even though Janet was the best, except for the doctor in Princeton who the Air Force could and would never put up with, she liked working with others.

But that wasn't helping her with the problem of Tanith and his host. It also wasn't helping her with SG-1. Daniel seemed to be beginning to accept everything. Teal'c had accepted her, before she had stood up to him at least. And Major Carter, well, the Major would eventually accept all this, Carter, her father's friend would accept it after the hurt of the not telling went away, and Sam…well Kate honestly didn't know if Sam could accept it. In the end, this might be the last straw. The last thing Jack O'Neill could keep from her or do to her before she just gave up.

Kate had seen the look in Sam's eyes when everything was revealed. She had seen the sympathy, for both women knew single parent military homes; she had seen the sympathy for all the crap he had put up with over the years; she had seen the respect, for Sam knew that no matter what, Jack would never turn his back on a child, especially not _his_ child; she had seen the pain and betrayal, for my not telling Sam, Kate knew that her father had betrayed Sam; and she had seen the love, that Jack would put up with all the crap, that Jack would do his best for Kate, that underneath all his cocky bull and near debilitating insecurities, he was a good man simply trying to do the right thing.

With a heavy sigh, Kate put down her coffee and scrubbed her exhausted face with her hands. She had patiently read her father's letters and listened to his occasional phone calls. To her, who knew him completely, it was obvious. Jonathon Kincade O'Neill was completely, head over heels, in love with Samantha Grace Carter. And she could tell that Sam felt the same, but Kate still worried. He was horrifically bad at verbalizing his feelings. And he respected Sam and her career too much to even think of telling her.

Kate had always played an active role in her father's love life. Women who were interested were immediately introduced to her and it was explained very clearly, Jack's priorities were with his little Katie, he'd called her that when she was little and he'd just come home from the war. Now Kate realized that she was still playing that active role. Only this time, she would be telling her father, on no uncertain terms, that he had to tell Sam Carter how he felt. And all things being equal, she's rather face down Teal'c again, than have that conversation.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N:Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. And to skye, yeah, the doctor from Jersey is House, I forgot to put in a disclaimer for that in the last chapter, but if you thought that I owed House, then I suggest you see a doctor. Anyway, here's the next chapter, and um, it might be the last for a week or more. RL is hitting big time, I really shouldn't even be taking the time to post this, but I love reviews and well, I'm hoping you guys will review. Anyway, read, enjoy, and REVIEW! Reviews make me happy.

Chapter 12

Two weeks later, very little had changed. The Tok'ra still hadn't responded and so Tanith was in a medically induced coma, partly to control him and partly because no one could think of any other way to alleviate the mental horror that the host Hebron was being subjected to by Tanith, and that of being trapped in his own body. Teal'c was making the occasional sneak attack on the infirmary, though for each one Kate had managed to get him to back off. Jack and Sam weren't talking. In fact there was very little communication between the Colonel and Major and there was only icy-pain filled silence between Jack and Sam. The only good things to happen in the past two weeks were the learning of the host's name and the fact that the general population of the SGC had eased up on their disapproval of Kate. She was too much like her father for people to hate for long. But Kate had had enough.

She was sick to death of the icy silence between her father and Major Carter. Kate didn't understand why he didn't just talk to her. But being an O'Neill meant action, so tired of the awkwardness that had permeated the entire base, she confronted the problem head on.

"Colonel! May I speak with you?" She called down the hall at his retreating form. Jack turned slowly, and nodded completely resigned. There was no mischief in his brown eyes, no grin, even his trademark smirk was gone. Quickly stepping into his often-unused office after him and closing the door, Kate turned to him.

"What's up Katie Rose?" He asked, sitting heavily behind his desk, cluttered with weeks of unread memos and avoided paperwork.

"Talk to her."

"What? Why would I talk to who about what?"

"Don't play stupid with me. Talk to Carter. The two of have got to figure this thing between you out."

"What thing?" Years of Black Ops and four long months as a POW in Iraq had taught Jack evasion skills unparalleled by anyone else on base, except for Teal'c who few would ever even think to interrogate.

"Don't B.S. me Dad. _You are in love with Sam Carter_. It's simple, it's wonderful, and not telling her is destroying you."

"Wait a minute, young lady. You can't just go around making accusations like that on a military base. You know better…"

"What? _You_ are going to give _me_ a lecture on what? Military decorum? Insubordination? Dad drop the act. I don't want to have this conversation with the Colonel. I want to talk to my Dad," Kate quickly interrupted him, giving him no time to speak an raising her voice just a notch over his own voice level.

"Katie, Carter and I have nothing to talk about. As far as I know she and the rest of the team are doing fine with the personnel changes around here. SG-1 is scheduled to go off-world in two days, are you saying that there is a team issue I need to deal with?" As always he tried to cover any truth about his feelings with work and the team. But Katie had heard the excuses as often as everyone, and she had the advantage of having heard the truth just as many times.

"No. Daddy please, listen to me. You and Sam need to talk. Major Carter is doing as well as any 2IC could ever be expected to with finding out about her CO's grown daughter, but Sam isn't."

"Katie, Sam and Carter are the same person."

"No they aren't and you know it! And you know that she isn't doing well with all of this either, but you're hiding behind your rank, behind your mask, 'cause you don't want to deal with it. Because you're scared."

"Scared? Katie, I'm not scared…"

"Then why won't you talk to her? Is it me you're worried about? Daddy, you have my permission if that's what you want. Please, I just want you to be happy. And don't tell me that you are, because I know your not. You haven't smiled or cracked a bad joke since I came."

"You haven't called me 'Daddy' since you were 13."

"Well, right now I want to talk to my Daddy. I don't want to talk to the Colonel."

"Katie, you know all the reasons why Sam and I can't talk. Besides, she's with Pete now, she's happy with him." The defeat in his voice and eyes would have terrified anyone else who knew him, but Katie had seen him this desponded before, and she had seen him come out of it. She could only hope that he had the strength to do it again.

"She broke up with him two weeks ago, don't give me that look. Sam and I happen to share a best friend, and both of us are becoming worried about your mental state. And yes, I know all the reasons why you shouldn't talk, but not talking is killing the two of you. Can just talking, explaining things face to face really be that bad?"

"The Air Force sees it that way. Katie, I will never harm her career that way, I respect her too much to ever put her in a position where she has to chose between me or her career. I know how important the Air Force, and her career are to her. I won't do it."

"So for God and Country, the two of you will kill your souls? My God Dad! The two of you save the world every other week and you can't come up with a way to be happy? Both of you are geniuses, either one of you could put Einstein to shame and yet you won't even try to be happy. Do you want to be miserable the rest of your life?"

"Carter and I have made choices and taken oaths. Neither one of use will go back on our word, you of all people know that I have never broken my word, why do you suddenly expect me to?"

"Because, some things are more important than God and Country! All I am saying is talk to her, not get in her pants! If they want to court martial you for talking to her then screw them! They deserve to lose the two of you if they want to get rid of the two of you that badly, which they don't by the way. You have Hammond on your side, hell you've probably got her father, or at least his symbiote on your side. I know that the little gray guy, whatshisname, uh, Thor would stick up for the two of you. Talk to her. That's all I want. That's all I ask."

"Fine, if I promise to talk to Sam, will you let this drop?"

"Pinky promise?" She asked, watching his eyes and face for the truth.

A grin spread across his face, a real smile, not the smirk he threw around at work, but the full-on complete grin that Katie had grown up seeing, "Pinky promise, Katie Rose. Pinky promise. Now can we go back to being Doctor and Colonel? You remember how bad things got the last time we strayed from those roles while at work."

"Hey, that was your fault! I never asked to have to treat your Special Ops group at that field hospital!" She laughed at the memory, which at the time had not been so funny. They both had lost perspective of who they were when they were working and who they were in their personal lives. It had been an awful mess.

"Life preparing us for this?" he suggested laughing. The mess that their role confusion had created years ago hadn't happened again. Which was a good thing, but it had still been a kick in the gut for him to realize that she wasn't his little girl who did as he asked anymore, that she felt completely comfortable giving orders, giving _him_ orders.

"Maybe, you know I just want you to be happy, right?"

"Aren't I the one who's supposed to want that for y? But yeah, sweetheart, I know. I'm getting back to happy, it's just slow."

"I know Dad. I'm getting back to happy too. It's just kinda scary, ya know? It feels like we've gone back in time. Our worlds seem to be colliding and I don't know where I fit in your world anymore." Her voice, normally clam, confident, and in control, was shaking, as were her hands. She hated it when her hands shook, for a surgeon, shaking hands were a death sentence.

"C'mere Katie Rose," Jack, for the first time in years, pulled his daughter into his arms. Even though his knees protested slightly, he settled his far too thin daughter on his lap, the way he had when she was a small child, "Yes, our worlds are colliding, but maybe they needed too. And yeah, it scares the hell outa me too, cause we both know how well I deal with change. You fit in my world in the same place you always have, the center. I know it seems like you're not the center of my world anymore, but that's only because I'm not sure where I fit in your world anymore. We will figure this out. Same as we always do Katie."

"I know. Guess I'm not as tough as I want people to believe huh?"

"Well if I was going up against Teal'c and his whole Jaffa revenge thing, I'd certainly want to be, oh I don't know, Superman."

"Captain America" she teased back. It was an old game they had played throughout her childhood and throughout Charlie's short childhood, whenever one of them got scared about anything they named superheroes, because no matter what they always won. They had started the game when she was seven and none of the doctors could figure out why she was sick. They had played it ever since.

"The Hulk." Jack was determined to get her to smile again.

"Batman."

"Wolverine."

"Gambit."

"Silver Surfer."

"Human Torch and Mr. Fantastic."

"One that's cheating, you only get one superhero per turn."

"Yeah well, they're part of a team, so they go together." He scrambled to find a justification.

"Then you should have said the whole group, not just two of them."

"Well…"

"Spiderman. I win."

"You got me there. He is the best. And he's even got a sense of humor." Jack conceded the victory to her. Over the years, she had noticed that she always won, but like always she didn't complain about it.

"Why do you think I named him?" Standing up and moving to the door, she gave her father a shaky grin, "Thanks Dad."

"For what?"

"For everything? Oh and remember to talk to Sam. You promised."

"And father's should never break their promises to their daughters?"

"Yeahsureyabetcha. Love you Dad."

"Love you too Katie. Love you too."

As Katie left his office, Jack's thoughts turned to two more conversations ahead of him. One with Sam and one with Hammond.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N:Thanks so much to all those who have reviewed, you have completely made my week. I apologize for the delay in posting, but real life kinda butted in for a while. Early British history and Machiavelli and More are not conductive to writing fanfiction, really not conductive. Anyway, here's chapter 13, it's short, I know, but 14 is written just not typed yet. Please remember to review, reviews make me happy.

Chapter 13

Two days later when SG-1 stepped through the Stargate to explore PQX-924, Jack still hadn't had those two conversations. He was going to, he had never broken a promise to his daughter and he refused to start now, but paperwork that had to be completed before the team left unfortunately had priority over fulfilling his promise.

Still, if he'd had those conversations before there had been the major chance that SG-1 wouldn't be going on this little excursion down the yellow brick road. And he knew his daughter, knew her limits, her strengths, her weaknesses. He knew that she needed a break from Teal'c and from the stress of guarding her patient, the only one not yet on the road to recovery, from him. With Teal'c off-world for the next five days, he hoped that she would finally be able to get some sleep, because even if she could survive for months on little sleep before her work started to suffer, she still hadn't had time to recover from her 4 year sojourn in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Glancing around PQX-924, Jack saw the usual. Trees, grass, DHD, Daniel jabbering excitedly over the ruins they were hiking a day and a half to see. Yup, nothing new, but too many years of experience had taught him that it was the average, normal looking places that ended up being the god-awful hell-holes that he and his team now practically specialized in getting off of. Course, they usually got captured first, and then had to break out of the cliché dungeon, that the cliché bad guy had dumped them in, and then either fight their way back to the Gate or make a mad dash for the Gate. Usually it was both. Jack didn't know when his life had turned into a cliché, but he was pretty sure he was living the biggest cliché of all.

Even though this mission was meant to be a cakewalk, a team re-bonding exercise justified "officially" by Daniel' need to see the ruins, Jack was still as alert as he was on any other mission. Even Hammond knew that SG-1 needed an easy mission to get back into the swing of things after all the revelations and adjustments of the last two weeks.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Two days later Jack was positive his life was a cliché. Not only had Daniel's "rocks" been a waste of time, they had run into the bad guys. The only part that had Jack worried though, was that these Jaffa worked for his old buddy Ba'al. The part he was trying not to let himself worry about was the fact that they were no longer on the planet, and the Jaffa had left ni trace of the captured SG-1 on PQX-924. The SGC wasn't expecting an update for another two days, when, of course, they were supposed to be on their way back to the Gate. They would have no clue as to what had happened, all they would know was that SG-1 had vanished into thin air.

Jack fought to keep his thoughts from wandering to Katie. It didn't do him any good to wonder what her reaction would be when they told her. The feelings of guilt for leaving her all alone once again wouldn't do him any good either. Taking deep breaths, he concentrated on fortifying the walls he had built in his mind when he had first begun his career in Black Ops. He buried information about the Stargate and Earth's defenses. He buried everything that could potentially be used against him. Charlie, Katie, Sam. Even Daniel and Teal'c, to a degree could be used against him. Once the mental barriers were up, he concentrated on his team.

Teal'c would be fine. He had been trained for a lot longer than Jack had been alive to withstand torture. Besides this wasn't the first time he had been captured, though Jack really tried to avoiding thinking about the one time that they had thought Teal'c to be safe on Chulak when he was actually being tortured.

Sam, no Carter, he had to think of her as Carter, she couldn't be anything more than Carter, had been train well, and this wasn't the first time she'd been captured either. Yeah, Carter might be okay, Ba'al was a sadist and Jack didn't think he was also a misogynist. He hoped the snake wasn't one, Carter usually got singled out anyway just for being the only woman, he didn't want her torturer to also be a misogynist; sadists were bad enough.

And Daniel, well the Spacemonkey was a lot tougher than he'd been on that first mission to Abydos, years ago. He'd been tortured, been addicted, hell, the Spacemonkey had died more times than anyone else in the SGC and he was still fine.

Yeah, they might just get out of this alive, but with Ba'al's penchant for using the sarcophagus, he didn't know if they would come out of hid with sanity and soul intact.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Okay, raise you hand if you actually thought I was going to make this (Jack and Sam getting together) easy on anyone? Please this is them, they only do things the hard way, but don't worry, ship moments are coming in the future. A big thank you to everyone who has reviewed, this story has surpassed every expectation I have ever had for it. So, sit back, relax, enjoy this installment in Worlds Collide, and please don't for get to hit the purple button at the bottom of the page when your done.

P.S. Arrant Schemata, I give up, I ask.

Chapter 14

Katie stood at the base of the ramp, aguishly waiting. The Tok'ra had contacted them an hour ago saying that they were bringing what they needed to free the host. The Tok'ra still didn't know that the snake they were removing was Tanith. Katie stared nervously at the active wormhole, she was trying not to move her hands too much. Like her father, when she got nervous or board, she fiddled with things and right now she had nothing to occupy her hands with. So she went with the old O'Neill standby, she shoved her hands into her pockets.

Hammond looked downed at her from the control room and smiled. If she started rocking back on her heels then she would remind him even more of his 2IC. With everything, except the Tanith situation, cooling down, everyone, even him, were being to really get into the idea of having two O'Neill's on base. Hammond suspected that if everyone didn't know that Jack was the new doctor's father, then the infirmary would be the most popular place on base. As it was, very few people, and even fewer men, were willing to risk the wrath of SG-1's leader by approaching his daughter. He didn't know if Kate had noticed it yet, but if the reports about their argument a few days before the mission were any indication, well, he couldn't wait to hear the fight that Jack's over protectiveness would cause.

Finally two Tok'ra came through the shimmering blue event horizon. Jacob and Anise. Anise hadn't been by in a few years, so that would be interesting, and Jacob, well, it was always good to see hi old friend. Especially since things went crazy with the alliance and Jake hadn't been sure if he would be back anytime soon. Perhaps the Tok'ra's current willingness to help was a good sign for the state of the alliance.

Kate smiled at the two people walking down the ramp carrying a box between them. She removed her hands from her pockets and approached the two once they were on "solid" ground again. "Hi, I'm Dr. O'Neill, the new chief surgeon, thanks for coming." Let it never be said, she thought, that I can never be nice. Sara had drilled politeness into her, said she spent too much time with the Miller boys and needed to learn to be a lady. She had used the weeks Kate had spent home in bed and then just at home after her hospitalization to try to change her. Kate had learned an appreciation of malls, living so close to Philadelphia at that point had helped in that. And eventually Sara had drummed lady like manners into her, and Kate had taught her new mother how to change the oil in a car and do most of the maintenance a car needs. She and Sara had found their understanding, and she knew that she and Sam would find theirs, but first she had to deal with the patriarch of the Carter Clan.

"O'Neill? George don't tell me you let someone related to Jack on this base!" Jacob laughed. Looking at the young woman she seemed about the same age as Sam, Jacob was slightly confused, he had never heard Jack mention a much much younger sister.

"Dr. O'Neill is a member of the surgical staff, Jake. She's one of the best at what she does," George's voice boomed over the speakers behind Kate.

"Listen, can we continue the introductions in the infirmary? I really want to get this….symbiote, out of the host." Kate had been antsy about Hebron's health for weeks and had only left his side to talk to her father about his relationship with Sam. Between Teal'c's sneak attacks, which she wouldn't have fought off without the help of Major Griff, the one exception to the new unofficial rule of the SGC, 'If you are male, do not go near Kate O'Neill unless you want to face the wrath of the Colonel.' Normally Kate would have called her father on this over protectiveness, but right now she was almost glad of it. She didn't have the energy to keep Hebron alive, keep Teal'c out of the infirmary, and deal with board military men who just wanted a date with the new, very civilian, doctors.

"What is your relationship to Colonel O'Neill, Doctor O'Neill?" the woman Tok'ra asked. Kate tried to remember what she'd been told about the woman, who had introduced herself as Anise when they had left the Gate Room.

"My relationship is we are related." Kate gave a non-answer to the woman, who she already didn't like. She didn't want to deal with Jacob Carter finding out who she was. Right now she just wanted the two of them to remove Tanith with no complications, no conflicts, and no Tok'ra double-talk. The other three doctors were off-duty at the moment, so she only had Hammond and Griff, who was currently guarding Tanith/Hebron, to help her detect any trickery.

Normally the others would be here, but it was 0330 and she didn't feel that they really needed _that_ early of a wake up call.

"Oh, so you're not telling is that it?" Jacob teased.

"I don't see how my relationship to Colonel O'Neill matters right now. All I want is for you to remove the snake so I can finish physically healing the host, and he can get into therapy 'cause Lord knows he's gonna need it," she snapped. Nearly two weeks of high stress and little sleep were getting to her and with her father off-world she found herself worrying about that too. Not that she could do anything about his job, but she had always worried when he was away. She had simply learned to hide the worry and fear of the phone call better than Sara had. At least until the end she had hidden it better, after Charlie, when Dad had left on the suicide mission (for both she and Sara had known that was what it was), which she now knew to be the Abydos mission, Sara had been better at hiding it, though Kate wasn't entirely sure her stepmother had any fear and worry to hide at that point.

Shaking herself out of the past, Kate focused on the two Tok'ra and the task at hand.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N:Thanks to all those who have reviewed, every single review cheers me up greatly. This chapter is kinda short, but don't worry chapter 16 is already typed up and almost ready to go. So enjoy, and remember, reviews make me happy.

Chapter 15

When they reached the infirmary doors, Kate mentally steeled herself, hoping against hope that the shit wouldn't hit the fan, she ushered the two Tok'ra into the predawn gloom of the infirmary.

Jacob didn't know what he had been expecting, the SGC had a great record when it came to killing goa'uld after all, but he never expected to see Tanith in the SGC, nor an O'Neill trying so hard to save him.

He had know that Tanith was still alive, he had even known that Tanith was working as a liaison between Anubis and Ba'al, but he had truly never expected, nor truthfully wanted, the SGC and Teal'c to find out.

It was Anise, though, who spoke first, "The Tok'ra High Council will want to interrogate him. How soon can you have Tanith ready for travel?"

"As soon as you take the…..symbiote out of the host. The host isn't going anywhere for a very long while so don't get any fancy ideas." Kate's patience was worn thin, the only thing that was keeping her from losing it completely was Hank's comforting presence in the room and her own desire not to start a Carter-O'Neill feud. She had a feeling they could blow the Hatfield's and McCoy's out of the water when it came to inane feuding, in fact knowing her father, she was sure of it.

"Dr. O'Neill, what Tanith knows must be learned by the Council. His knowledge of Anubis and Ba'al could be instrumental in the war against the system lords," Anise tried again, not liking how this O'Neill kept shutting her down.

"Fine. But find out what Tanith knows after Hebron is free of him. The host has suffered enough, and while I don't really care too much for the snake, the host isn't leaving this room for a while and under no circumstances will the Tok'ra, or anyone else for that matter, 'interrogate' him. Now please, get the damn snake out of this poor man's head!" Kate's patience was a second away from snapping, something she knew could not happen, and Hank's warm hand on the small of her back calmed her, at least it calmed her temper.

"And we will Doctor. The Tok'ra have put Hebron through enough, the least we owe him is his freedom," Jacob spoke up, he knew what an O'Neill temper was like and no way did he want to see one unleashed, even if Anise deserved it.

"What do you need to set up the removal?" Kate asked, years of too much stress making her far more emotionally and physically tired than she had been since Charlie's funeral.

"We can do it here," Selmak replied, metallic voice resonating in the large room.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Blinking, gray eyes opened and stared at a flat gray ceiling. It was quiet, the mind behind the eyes thought. So completely silent. Even though his ears heard the whirling, humming, and beeping of the many machines in the room it was so very silent to him.

_Tanith? _ He thought, so used now to mentally vocally his thoughts and screams. Tanith controlled his real voice.

_Where are you? You are never quiet, where am I? _His breathing which had been slow and steady, deep and strong, quickened. His breathing grew shallower and as his mind reeled with the blessed awful quiet, his breathes shortened until he was barely getting any oxygen. Through the haze of his blurring vision, a face appeared over him. Dark brown hair surrounded a deeply tanned face, and large chocolate colored eyes looked down on him, filled with concern.

He saw her lips move and through the incessant buzzing in his ears, which did nothing to combat the silence, he heard a soft melodic lilting voice saying, "It's all right Hebron. You're safe, you're safe here. And free from Tanith."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N:i'm posting this during a break between papers. why must everything be due on the same day? anyway, thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter. am i to take the fact that chapter 15 received the fewest reviews so far to mean that y'all didn't like it? enough with that, here's chapter 16, and we're back to the captive SG-1. please review. even if its to tell me that you hated the chapter, I really just love getting the reviews. remember, reviews make me smile!

Chapter 16

Jack groaned, Ba'al's First Prime, a huge guy who looked like he could take Arnold, Chuck Norris, and Rambo easy, had not taken him first. He'd done everything possible to get the big bloated hulk to take him instead of Daniel, but it hadn't worked. Damnit, just cause he thought Danny boy would come out of this okay (at least, hopefully alive) it didn't mean that he didn't want to spare his best friend as much of it as possible.

He was worried now about Ba'al's plans. Daniel knew lots of junk that was true, but he didn't know anything about Earth's defenses, sure cultural information was important, but he didn't get how that would help Ba'al. Maybe because Daniel was the weakest? Damnit, why hadn't he been taken first?

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Sam sat on the opposite side of the small room from Jack. They had reached wherever it was that Ba'al was holding them early that morning. There was still a day before the SGC was expecting to hear from them, still a whole day before the SGC knew anything was wrong.

She squirmed a but, trying to find a more comfortable place against the cold wall, trying to convince herself that sitting next to Jack, no the Colonel, he had to stay the Colonel, would be a bad idea. Even if she knew from experience how nice a pillow his shoulder made. She couldn't sit next to him, because she couldn't give Ba'al more to work with than he would already have. She knew she would be singled out, she always was. Normally she didn't mind being the only woman on the team, it made her special, unique. Normally it made her safer, at least in bad situations. With Ba'al though….she remembered the year before, when Jack had come back after the whole mess with Kanan, the mess that she had caused. He'd been a wreak, and she could only imagine what that rat bastard Ba'al would do this time.

She was terrified of what he was doing to Daniel, he had been taken hours before, and she was also terrified what he would do to Teal'c and Jack, no the Colonel!

She wanted nothing more than to be safe in Jack's, the Colonel's damnit, arms. She was always safe there. But she couldn't go there, not after Pete. Jack probably hated her, and thus the comfort of his arms was only a memory to her. She wanted to tell him, she desperately did, but not here. Now was not the time or place for feelings like that. She had to shut Sam up un a room, much like the room her feelings were locked in. This was the time and place for Carter, not Sam.

When the Jaffa opened the thick metal door and tossed Daniel, bloodied and bruised in, Sam rushed to Daniel's side as Jack started verbally abusing the guards again. This was how it always was when they were captured, an old an all too familiar routine. But once again the Jaffa didn't rise to Jack's bait. Instead of grabbing him, their rough hands closed around her forearms and they dragged her away from Daniel's still form. She quickly tried to compose her mind, but her eyes and heart sought out Jack's panicked face. His eyes, so expressive and at this moment, filled with fear/concern/love, no that last one she must be miss reading, even if it had been years since she had misunderstood anything in their silent conversations, in those few moments told her all that he was not able to verbalize.

Glancing at Jack again as she disappeared out of the small room she internalized her sigh, it was always the time and place for Carter, never for Sam.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N:i know i know, several of you have expressed more nterest in the little problem sg-1 has gotten themselves into than what it going one back at the sgc with katie. but i write what muse tells me to write and she demanded a katie chapter. don't worry the next chapter is already written and its an sg-1 chapter with an sj moment. SAS, when I say something is romance and is sj romance i mean it, but in the timeline for the story only two weeks have past since katie arrived at the sgc, lets give them some time to work things out and well remember this is jack and sam, they do nothing the easy way. also shetlandlace, i'm glad i brought another silent reader out of the closet, and thank's for the typo catch, maybe i should stop typing these chapters up while i should be sleeping. anyway, thanks ever so much to all who reviewed, you made my day. please remember, reviews make me smile

Chapter 17

Kate stared at the clock in her small office. Listened to the seconds tick by as she waited.

They were overdue.

To make it worse, no one was telling her anything, so she was reduced to this, waiting.

Hebron was freed and with no need of surgery, Janet had taken over his primary care. It was expected, after all, she was just a surgeon, Janet was the Chief Medical Officer, she was the person who was really in charge, even if Kate had been acting like it for the last two weeks.

Staring now at the depressing dull gray walls of her office as she listened to the old analog clock tick away she didn't bother to look up as Janet knocked gently on the frame of the open door.

"Kate? You need to get some rest. The General has given you two days downtime, go outside, get some sleep, talk Griff into taking you out on a date, anything. In two days you report to the Academy Hospital for your duties there. We've monopolized you enough."

"No." Kate continued to stare at the wall ahead of her, voice so quiet, Janet's highly trained bat-ears almost didn't catch it.

"Kate, there's nothing to do right now and besides you've had two weeks of very high stress and little sleep. You need to recharge and the Academy is part of your assignment here. You have no choice in this," Janet tried to reason.

"No. I'm not leaving. Something's wrong and I need to be here, not out having fun, besides Hank hasn't asked me out or anything, you are just being delusional about that, and I don't need to be at the Academy Hospital."

"One, I'm not being delusional, the man likes you, he wouldn't risk the Colonel's wrath otherwise, and two, you don't have a choice. You have to go to the Academy, you have to follow orders too you know."

"Which part of no don't you understand? I'm not leaving. I'll sleep on base, but under no circumstances am I leaving."

"You don't seem to understand Doctor, you don't have a choice in the matter," General Hammond's voice cut off anything Janet was about to say. He and Jacob had come down to check on Hebron and discuss what options the man had with Dr. Frasier.

"Why the hell not?" Kate's voice remained soft, but her tone was icy. Hammond looked hard at her, she was her father's daughter. Attitudes, tones, and all.

"Doctor, you work for the military, you are to report to the Academy Hospital in two days, you have no choice in that!"

"Something is wrong, I know it. It's not just them being SG-1 and thus always being late, something went wrong. Trust me on that, I have always known it when he has gotten hurt or….gone….missing. Don't ask me how, but I know when things go wrong on his missions. And I'm going to need to be here when they get back, because them not coming back isn't an option. You're going to need the full complement here, so I'm staying. Besides, what is there for me to do at the Academy Hospital? They actually schedule surgery there, so all I would be doing is sitting around listening to the interns and residents talk about how great they are or will be, or about where they went or some other totally useless thing that means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things." She continued to stare at the clock, voice never rising above a whisper.

"Dr. O'Neill, you cannot pick which parts of your assignment you fulfill. You are required to report to the Academy Hospital in two days, you have no choice about that. If you are needed back here, then someone will recall you from the Academy Hospital. But until then you will do as you are told." Hammond's voice was deathly quiet, a tone Janet and Jacob had only heard when someone, usually the Colonel, had, really really screwed up.

Kate looked up, locking her eyes on the General's, as if challenging him to a battle of wills that she would win. "No."

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Major Hank Griff stood in a spot where five years earlier Col. Jack O'Neill had stood. The only difference was that the Colonel had been worried about his second who at the time was snaked and he was questioning. Five years later in the same spot, Hank was trying not to laugh his ass off. Kate just glares at him and with a quiet humph crossed her arms over her chest and sat down on the hard cot, facing slightly away from him. Hank wouldn't ever admit it to her, but she looked extremely cute at that moment, and he added it to his new mental "album" of Kate moments.

"Come on Kate you have to admit that you knew the General was going to throw you in here. What can you be upset about?"

"I knew I'd be visiting these lovely guest quarters," she began waving one hand to indicate the dull hard gray paint and hard gray cot, which matched nicely with the hard gray bars that currently separated them, "but do you _have_ to laugh at me? It's not polite you know."

"Oh I know sweetheart, but it's still hilarious. One good thing though…" he grinned at her, causing her to impishly stick her tongue out at him. How she and the Colonel had survived her childhood he had no idea.

"What? What possible good thing did this cause?"

"Well, you're stuck on base now, so you got what you wanted. And you are definitely going to get visitors, hell I think you have a fan club now."

"For what? Just cause I…."

"Yup. You did what everyone on base has been dying to do for years. Even better though, her nose will be crooked now."

"Gat, I finally start making friends and it's cause I broke Tok'ra Spice's nose." Kate dropped her head into her hands, and Griff could see her whole body start to shake with the suppressed laughter.

"Well, it was a great right hook. You were obviously taught by Marines."

"Try again Jarhead, the Air Force taught me both a great right hook and a left hook. And she _did_ deserve it."

"When they get back, I'm betting SG-1 lines up for a shot at her. Nobody disrespects _our_ Colonel like that," even though she was still shaking with laughter, her eyes had changed. They were dark and hard, they were predators eyes.

"Her face was priceless though, she never saw it coming," Hank noticed the change instantly and tried to turn the mood lighter again.

"Can we get the security camera footage?" she asked, returning to the light side.

"Sgts. Harriman and Siler already pulled it. Their trying to come up with a way to circulate it throughout the base, as if word of mouth hasn't already done a great job of that."

"Wouldn't you rather see it than hear about it?"

"Oh yeah, and I was there. Besides, there is a reason why the footage is my new screensaver," he grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh really?" Katie grinned back.

"Yup. It's definitely the best right hook I've seen in a long tome.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N:Thanks to all who reviewed What Happens When Uncle Pete Comes To Town. Bookworm37, Soccer-Bitch and ScifiGillian, you get a special thank you because you've reviewed like everything, so thank you very very much. To all those who want another chapter for that, my little sister and unofficial beta is also lobbying so you might get it, when I learn how to write Pete. Anyway, here's chapter 18, finally finished, with both myself and muse happy with it. It's short, but that's because I was feeling guilty about not having it don't last weekend so I wanted to get it done as fast as possible. So read, enjoy, and please review. It's the least you can do, since I am taking the time to post this on my birthday.

sChapter 18

Sam screamed, her throat was raw and her voice horse, but her scream could have put any sports fan to shame. She was pressed up against the gravity wall and the only thing keeping her sane at the moment were a pair of gorgeous brown eyes, and trying to figure out how the gravity wall worked.

"Now Major Carter, I really don't want to have to keep hurting you. Just give in, agree to my terms and the pain will end." Ba'al's silky voice washed over her. Concentrating, she forced herself to focus on him.

"Your terms suck, bastard," she spat as she lost the battle with the encroaching darkness.

As he watched her body go limp, Ba'al muttered, "A pity my dear. A pity."

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Jack paces the small room. She had now been gone longer than Daniel had been. As part of his brain conjured images of what Ba'al could be doing to her, the other half of his brain played a relentless slideshow her over the last seven wonderful years. Her smile, her giggle, the way she crinkled her nose when she was deeply involved in a problem, the glare she gave him when he made a bad joke about one of their "allies" or anyone they knew really, the way her whole body would shake when she was desperately trying not t laugh; but along with these images came the memories of all the times she was hurt and trying to hide it, the times she was worried about Daniel or Teal'c or her dad, or even him.

Finally when it seemed like his brain was about to overload with all the memories of her, the door opened. In an eerily similar scene, the same goons who had taken her tossed a battered and bruised Sam into the room. This time though, Ba'al's First Prime chose no one to take, rather he and the goons silently slithered away.

Jack sprang from his position against the far wall opposite the door to the bloodied and bruised heap that was _his_ Carter.

Gently with trembling hands, something he hated as much as Katie did, he checked her for injuries. He was semi-relived that while it seemed like she'd been worked over extremely well, there were no life threatening injuries. Of course, the holes and tears in her uniform indicated that Ba'al had used his favorites, knives, and acid, on her. At the moment, Jack loved the sarcophagus for preserving her life, but he knew from experience what the constant torture, death, and resurrection could do to a person. Even without the insanity, the sarcophagus caused and of course, without the ever so fun withdrawal he knew Sam would have to go through.

Leaving Teal'c to care for Daniel, Jack gently moved back to his spot at the wall, taking Sam with him. Holding her wouldn't do much to help her physically, but it would help them both mentally and emotionally he knew.

He smiled slightly as he held her, her head resting on his shoulder.

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Sam stirred, the formerly impenetrable darkness now giving away to light. Despite the numerous aches of her battered body, she was surprisingly comfortable, and when she opened her eyes, she discovered why. A pair of deep chocolate brown eyes were watching her intently, and the body that was attached to those caring eyes, was holding her. "Jack?" she whispered, voice still horse from screaming.

"I'm here Sam, I'm here. You're safe, he's not here."

As her eyes started to droop again, Jack struggled to find a way to keep her awake, he was 90 sure she had a concussion. She only called him by his name when she was snaked or had a really really bad concussion. He said the first thing that popped into his head, "Come on Sam, stay with me. You still haven't agreed to go fishing with me yet."

Blue eyes blinked, as if she was trying to puzzle out his words, then a slow smile graced her bruised face, "I know."

The same smile spread across Jack's face as he asked her to tell him about her latest doohickey. For some reason he couldn't help but feel that things were looking up.


	19. Chapter 20

A/N:I'm back! Well temporarily at least, since I technically don't have a computer at this point, seeing as how Santa's little helpers whisked it off to be fixed. But with the use of the shared family computer here is chapter 19 FINALLY. Hope y'all like it and please review, I have missed your comments immensely since this story was put on temporary hold due to rl and technical difficulties.

Oh yeah, there's a quote from Casablanca in here that I don't own (naturally) but couldn't resist putting in. also, I list a series of ranks, and if I forgot one, or several, sorry, I don't actually know much about the Air Force and I certainly don't know much about the ranks.

**Chapter 19**

"Come on George let her out. She meant no disrespect and you have to agree Anise had it coming," Jacob pleaded with his best friend. He never thought he would be pleading the case of an O'Neill, much less one he knew so little about, although from her reaction to Anise's comment about young women romantically linked with older men, he could guess that she wasn't Jack's second wife or anything like that.

"She's a civilian George, you, I, and certainly she knows that she doesn't actually have to follow orders. And I'm willing to bet that the SGC is her primary assignment and the Academy Hospital is only ever going to call her in for consults. They don't really need her, and probably expect to never actually see her, so why the hard line with her?"

"I know, but she's new and very used to running her own show. And while I do know that she meant no disrespect I can't give the impression that just because she's my second's daughter I'm going to tolerate from her what everyone knows I would never tolerate from anyone.

"She's Jack's DAUGHTER? Jacob nearly fell out of his chair at that little revelation.

"Yes she is. He did a good job raising her on his own too. Like Sam, she's come out of a predominately single parent military household and done very well for herself."

"How old was he?"

"Too young, but Jack and Kate both managed and as a bonus the Air Force got a fantastic airman to boot."

"What? How? When? And that girl is nothing like Sam, don't even think of comparing them."

"Jake, calm down. Both Sam and Kate are the leaders of their respective fields, they both have fathers who love and support them and they both have come out of similar households. That's all I meant. That said, Dr. O'Neill is very much her father's daughter. I'm willing to bet she believes she's in the brig solely for attacking Anise."

"How much?" Jake asked.

"$20"

"Come on George where's your sense of adventure?"

"Alright, $50." All joking aside George knew his long time friend was extremely worried and getting more so by the minute, he hadn't gotten his two stars for his looks after all. "Jake, we will find them. This is SG-1, I have all the faith in the universe in them."

"I know, and so do I. but this is SG-1 we're talking about George. The reason they're so good at getting out of bad situations is that they have so much practice.

"Go talk to Kate , Jake. Maybe it'll help you both."

"And get both of us out of your hair?" Jake smirked.

"Leave my hair out of this. Besides you're getting there my friend."

"Getting there George. I'm not there yet."

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Kate was alone in the brig when Jacob arrived, and bored out of her mind. Since Hank actually did have to work on occasion, although he was better avoiding paperwork than her father according to her sources. But with everyone off doing what they were paid to do, she had no one to talk to and no one had even left her with a yo-yo or even a piece of string to occupy her hands. Lying on the hard metal cot, she stared at the dull ceiling and loudly, so to annoy the guards who wouldn't come in to talk with her or even give her something, anything, to occupy her hands or her mind, she chanted, "Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored." As she had been amusing herself this way for the last 10 minutes or so, she knew the guards were sick of it.

"Great torture method, how long do you think they can take it?" the voice of Jacob Carter startled her out of her almost hypnotic chant.

"Wha? Oh, I don't know, not much LONGER I hope. All I'm really hoping for is someone to talk to or something to play with."

"What is it with you O'Neill's and short attention spans? I swear, I don't know how SG-1 or George, even, put up with Jack. Do both of you have ADD or something?" Jacob grinned, he could understand why she would be bored though. There was really nothing to do, and she had already caught up on the sleep she'd missed while Hebron was her patient.

"As far as I know, neither of us have ADD, but it would explain a few things wouldn't it?" she grinned back, wondering how much Jacob knew.

"So," Jacob started, with Selmak screaming at him to stop, that this was a really bad idea, "what was it like having a teenage father growing up?"

The grin disappeared off her face, to her mind he had no right to ask that. Very few people had the right to that and this man, this General, certainly wasn't one of them. "What my life was like growing up is none of your business General Carter. Both I and my father do have the right to a private life."

"Yes you do. But _your_ father is not only _my_ daughter's CO, but is also attached to her in more ways than one, and certainly more ways than he's technically allowed. So you can understand my wanting to know more about him." Jacob's voice was as icy as Kate's. Selmak was screaming at him to stop this foolishness, but he had learned to block the massive migraines she caused and he was _very_ good at maintaining primary control of his body. Needless to say, Selmak always hated hi "blundering interferences" with his daughter's life, as she called them.

"You need know nothing more about him than you have for the past six years. Nothing about him has changed and as for any "attachments," he has always formed close bonds with his teammates. They allowed him some degree of normalcy, which by my mere existence I destroyed. Believe me, my father is above all else a gentleman…"

"Ha! If he was then you wouldn't be the age you are!" Jacob interrupted.

"Or I wouldn't exist at all? Believe me General, I have heard all this before, and so has Dad. But what I don't understand is how you can suddenly not respect a man whom you have know and worked with for so long over something as trivial as the age of his ONLY LIVING CHILD." Her tone had, if possible, gotten icier. She didn't want this, she was so very tired of this. Sometimes it felt like her life has been dominated by ages. Of how close hers was to her father's, and she was sick of it. She had tired long ago of being Airman, Sergeant, Master Chief, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel, and Colonel O'Neill's daughter. And she didn't want to return to that, her worlds had had collided as much as his had and she was just as determined as he was to maintain some of their own independent identity that had developed in their years apart.

Selmak, sensing that as bad this was, it was headed for worse, increased her chastisement of Jacob's assumptions and behaviors. She included a few remarks about what Sam would think of all of this and how she would react. Jacob softened to that one and the nail in the coffin was Selmak's remarks about how much the young Doctor had done for Hebron and Tanith and how her actions were parts of Jack O'Neill that Jacob intensely respected and liked. Finally, after ten minutes of intense mind-bending arrangement between symbiote and host, and ten minutes of world class death glares between the two humans, Jacob gave in.

"I apologize. Nothing I have said since walking in here has been warranted. I have never been given any reason to doubt Jack O'Neill or his intentions and by doing so now I have betrayed his trust in me."

"Is that you or the…..symbiote talking?"

"Me. Although it was Selmak who caused and beat in this little epiphany. But I am truly sorry."

"Apology accepted. I didn't really have the right to yell at you like that. But you can prove your sincerity to me."

"Prove it? How?"

"Get me outta here before I go bonkers, nutso, three fries short of a happy meal, crazy!"

"Eh...maybe….possibly……"

She glared at him again, the full force O'Neill death glare that she had learned and perfected over a lifetime.

"I already talked to him and I will again. You should be out of there soon."

"Good. Then we can concentrate on finding them."

"Instead of nervously waiting?"

"I've had a lifetime of that, and here now, I have the ability to actually look foe my father and his team. Which option do you think I'm going to take?"

"Doc, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Jacob clasped her hand through the bars.


	20. Chapter 21

A/N:here's chapter 20 for your reading pleasure. please remember to bribe the author into writing more by reviewing. bribes always work and reviews make me smile.

Chapter 20

As the days past, Ba'al had continued pulling the members of SG-1 out for periods of time. But he never removed Jack from the small cell where the team was being held. Ba'al made sure that his Jaffa never touched O'Neill, only the other three. In fact, other than being zatted when initially captured and the few bruises he had sustained from being tossed into the cell, Jack hadn't suffered any physical harm.

But mentally, he was being to have trouble holding on. Watching his teammates, his friends, be taken away and hurt was taking its toll on him. Especially as Sam was being taken away most often, and for increasing lengths of time. When she was returned it was obvious that a sarcophagus had been used, and that she'd been physically worked over afterwards. She never talked about what happened when she was taken, but curled up in Jack's arms and refused to move from them until something, usually someone, forced her too.

Jack and Teal'c spent all the time they could trying to come up with a way out. Sam's increasingly bizarre behavior (none of the three men had seen their friend this physically needy of someone since the Entity incident years before, after which she had needed tactile contact constantly for days) was causing extreme worry, and causing all plans to have very short time frames. Daniel was helping as best he could, but he knew his limits and accepted them. Slowly a plan was coming together. The only problem was Sam's physical and mental state. They were fairly confident that Sam was physically capable of making it out, but mentally they weren't sure. Her new physical dependence on Jack was worrying them as well as her almost catatonic state. This was not the Sam they knew and even Jack had no idea how to help her, hell he didn't even know what _was_ happening to her when Ba'al's Jaffa took her from him.

With each passing day they felt the urgency to get out grow, until finally the plan was complete and everything was set for the SG-1 reenactment of the Great Escape.


	21. Chapter 22

A/N:okay, here's chapter 21. i would like to thank all of those who have reviewed chapter 20 and the rest of the chapters in this story. oh yes, GateSeeker2, don't worry, nothing too bad will happen to sam. But i do need to but them through a bit more angst before everybody gets to be happy. anyway i also need to throw in a disclaimer for this part because once again i have slightly crossed this story with another series, this time though its, the pretender. don't worry is you don't know that series, my younger sister and unofficial beta completely missed it and the chapter still made sense to her. oh yeah, the disclaimer, i don't own the pretender, i just really wish i did. please remember to review, as always, reviews make me smile.

Chapter 21

Finally, out of the small cell, Kate poured her energy into finding her father and his friends. She and Jacob enlisted the help of every off-duty personal they could find to go over everything they could to find the missing team.

Letting her mind wander one name kept sticking in her brain. Ba'al. Over the years, she had learned to trust her instincts, and right now, they were telling her to concentrate on Ba'al. Picking up the file on that particular snakehead, she paused before asking, "Jacob, what has Ba'al been up to recently?"

Her sudden question after nearly three hours of silence on her part caused everyone in the room to look up at her.

"Um, the usual from what Sel and I remember from our last briefing. Uh, the only new thing with him is that he has been looking for a new host for his queen. But other than that all has been normal with him. Why?" Jacob replied.

"Well he does hate SG-1 rather a lot, doesn't he?"

"More like he hates your Dad, with the other three it's just the same hatred the rest of the System Lords have," Col. Reynolds said.

"Well, if I really hated my…..Col. O'Neill and I was looking for a new host for my queen, then I'd pick Major Carter. It would be a major blow to all of SG-1 and the SGC, and it would definitely make my….the Colonel mad."

"Yo, Doc, you can call him your Dad. It's not a big deal here like it would be on other bases. In fact you calling him Colonel is kinda weird, "Ferretti grinned at her.

With a quick but wan smile, Kate acknowledged his remark.

"She's right though," Reynolds said. "That scenario makes sense; all we need to do is find where the hell Ba'al is keeping them. And then there's the fact that we've been looking almost three weeks already. He could have implanted Sam by now."

"So we need to get back to these files and find where he might have them. Jacob, can you and the Tok'ra locate possible bases for him?" Hank rested a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder.

"Yeah, I can do that. But I will warn you, Ba'al has got a ton of territory, this could take a while."

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A while was an understatement. Three days later, they had narrowed down the list some, but the total list was still longer than any kid's Christmas list. Kate, having little experience in the area of SAR and strategic planning, mostly stayed out of the way and thus provided simply coffee and food.

Jacob was coming and going constantly from the Tok'ra base and was finding very little information at all. The Tok'ra, who were always willing to have SG-1 help them, seemed unwilling to help the missing team. Selmak, who considered Samantha and the other members of SG-1 her family, couldn't explain the unwillingness of the High Council beyond "Tok'ra Politics." In fact, the oldest and wisest of the Tok'ra was finding herself becoming disenfranchised with the High Council with all their politics and power plays.

All of the team leaders and their 2ICs were constantly going through what intel they had and going out on recon mission when they thought they had a lead.

But so far nothing had turned up.

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Kate was patiently doing her rounds in the infirmary. All the recon missions over the last weeks had left a few people injured. But all those who were hurt to badly to return immediately to their teams all sat going over files and brainstorming new possible locations for Ba'al to have hid the missing team.

In an entire lifetime of military bases and evil phone calls, she had never seen anything like this. She had never seen an entire base mobilize so quickly to find four people, nor an entire base willing to do anything and everything to bring those four people home.

In the deepest part of her mind, she wondered if things would have been different if this kind of effort had been put forth the other times her father had been missing. She wondered if maybe, had Sara had the kind of support and constant belief that he was alive and would be coming back that awful four months when he was MIA and in an Iraqi prison, if maybe the fraying of her father's marriage to Sara wouldn't have started.

Mentally shaking her head, she banished those thoughts. She knew the breakdown of her father's second marriage had startled long before those four long lonely months when Sara had given him up for dead. She also knew that to a degree her stepmother was still in love with her father. Kate certainly couldn't deny the fact that Jack O'Neill was an easier man to love from afar.

Despite the past, here and now she had the constant support of others who also believed that he was alive. When the General had quietly called her to his office earlier and told her that the higher ups had finally done what he had been stalling for so long. Today, a month after they had gone missing, and six weeks after her arrival, SG-1 had been declared MIA.

But the search would continue, the General had promised her that as long as he had breath left in him, he would not give up on them. After leaving his office three hours ago, nearly the entire base had approached her and given her the same promise. Even those civilians who worked only occasionally with Jackson or Carter or knew them only by sight or reputation were determined to find the missing team.

Trying to focus her mind on her job, her eyes settled on the silent and scared huddled form in the corner bed. Hebron had refused to speak after waking free from Tanith's control. Janet, remembering what Sam had gone through after Jolinar, had said it was normal. So as his body healed they attempted to draw him out of his self-imposed isolation, but in these last weeks he had been all but forgotten to all but the medical staff. His silence had made him invisible. Laughing out loud at the sudden realization that hit her like a Mac truck, she dropped her clipboard and darted out of the infirmary. Running full speed, she made it to the briefing room overlooking the Gate Room in record time. Gasping for breath, the men and women in the room didn't notice her until she managed a loud piercing whistle she had spent an entire summer learning when she was six. Then all heads turned to her and saw the full blown grin on her face. The first one in weeks. "Hebron. He knows all of Ba'al's bases. HE would know where they are."

Reynolds, feeling as though it were his duty to tell her, after all he was the official 3IC of the base and second highest ranking officer, next to her father, and the highest ranking one in the room, gently tried to set her down. "Doc, I…..we all want to believe but….."

"What have they found?" her sharp question and icy tone more than vaguely reminiscent of her best friend from college, a woman who had learned that with privilege does not come an easy life, nor loving parents. Parker had adapted Kate's father as her own and Kate had adapted her best friend as the sister she didn't have and always wanted.

"Kate…..I….."

"What did they find?" Once again, she unconsciously adapted Parker's tone for dealing with idiot underlings.

Finally, Reynolds gave in, "Four bodies, badly burned. The team identified them by their dog tags. I'm sorry there was nothing……the team will be back shortly." Reynolds kept his voice down, as well as his eyes. Everyone in the room had lowered their eyes, as if ashamed of their failure to bring the missing team back alive.

Kate stared at them incredulously. Another thing she had learned or acquired or had developed from knowing her sister was a sense of knowing. Actually she had always had it, had always know when her father was in trouble or missing, but after meeting Parker it had gotten sharper. She _knew_ her father wasn't dead. Another thing she had learned from her sister after years of helping her friend adjust to the changing realities and uncovered lies that represented her past was that no one ever really dies.

"They are not dead, I would know if my father was dead. It's only a trick. A ruse to keep us from continuing to look." Her voice was strong and icy cold. Parker had also taught her that burying emotion helps get people to stop thinking that you are weak. "We need to get Hebron to talk, because he knows. I know he does." With that she stood and with a straight back and her head held high, she turned on her heel and gracefully left the room.

Those left in the room all looked at each other, trying to decide what to believe. On one hand, they had the burned bodies and dog tags as proof, on the other, Kate O'Neill had known before anyone else that SG-1 was in trouble. It was bizarre, but she seemed to know things. They shrugged and decided to believe the new Doc. After all, very little is more bizarre than an alien gateway to the stars.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Pain clouded every thought. The desperate need to run caused the pain to overshadow everything. Dashing through golden palace corridors had never hurt like this, nor had crawling through a filthy hole. Climbing walls had once been easy, and now cause the world to tilt on its axis. Scrambling for the tree line could occasionally cause tiredness in numbed limbs, but never before anything like this.

Finally, after what felt like years of running and falling when tired legs gave out, the circle appeared. A majestic stone circle that to many represented slavery, to others, freedom. Between gasping breaths the sapphire blue still standing waters appeared and clutching the device that had brought more soul-killing pain to acquire than ever before thought possible a code was sent and after trying to will the world to right itself, or at least for the three stone circles to condense into one again, the running that hurt so much and killed the soul more began again. It had to, the shooting had begun again, and instinct and desperation took over. Finally, there was only the blissful frozen blue.


	22. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

"How are they?" Hammond asked, standing at the foot of the infirmary bed that held the unofficial 3IC of the SGC.

"It's to early to tell with the Major. She's in the early stages of sarcophagus withdrawal right now and when you couple that with her physical injuries and the sheer fact that she was held prisoner for a month, it's going to be a long road back for her." Kate's voice was tired, even if the sarcophagus had been continually healing Carter, the escape had cost the Major more than she probably should have given.

"And the other two?" Hammond turned his eyes from his goddaughter to two of her teammates.

"They are in better condition. Whatever torture they went through, Sa…Major Carter was the focus of it. The other two should be awake sometime tomorrow. Like with the Major they have been through a lot too." Janet answered this time, and like the General had her eyes locked on the other two returning members of SG-1.

Janet sighed, all she and Kate could do was heal them, and wait. Only they knew what had happened on whatever planet that they had been on and for at least another day they would be unable to physically tell the tale of what had happened over the last month. But mentally was another story. All three would need to undergo new psychological evaluations, and SG-1 was not just famous for base-wide for saving the world. They were also famous for hating the bi-monthly psych evals and the mandatory sessions that all were forced attend if they had been captured. McKenzie, the on-staff psychiatrist, also hated having to deal with his most frequent customers. Well, McKenzie _was_ an idiot, on par with Fields. Maybe for the sake of everyone, (since no one actually liked seeing McKenzie) she should look into getting a new shrink for the base. Or at least have someone else handle SG-1's latest set of evaluations.

With another internal sigh, Janet turned her thoughts to the missing member of the team, as she showed the General out of the infirmary. She wondered if the other three, the returning three, knew that one had not made it. She knew that it would be very rough on all of them when they woke. The philosophy of "No one gets left behind" was something that SG-1 more than believed or lived by. With them, it simply was. Janet knew that is their missing fourth was still alive, and she prayed to a God she hadn't fully believed in since she was a little girl that he was, they would get him out. She knew they would simply because they were SG-1, they were a family, they were the people who constantly saved the world, nothing was impossible for them.

Looking back at Kate, she saw the younger woman gently touch the empty bed. The bed that was reserved for the missing fourth. And Janet knew he would be back to use that bed again, if only because like a bed penny, he always showed up.


	23. Chapter 24

A/N:i am so sorry about how long it has been since i last updated. rl and being sick (something i still am) have kept me from typing this chapter up. the wonderful reviews have helped keep me going and so even though this chapter is not extremely long, it is an update. i was amazed though at how many of you seemed shocked at the idea of any member of sg-1 being referred to as a bad penny, it was a source of great amusement to me, which was a really good thing, since i think i've coughed up at least one lung in the last two weeks. anyway, have fun, enjoy chapter 23, and please remember to review. maybe reviews will help my health!

Chapter 23

Blinking against the bright light that was shining in his eyes, Jack sat up and groaned. But the groan became twofold when he realized where he was. Not back at the SGC putting up with a Napoleonic power monger and a hovering daughter, instead he was chained to a wall with a couple of angry looking Jaffa staring down at him. He glanced around the room taking advantage of his peripheral vision. He was alone in the room with the Jaffa.

Trying to remember what had happened, he couldn't. He didn't remember if the others had gotten out, but he hoped they had. Whatever Ba'al had been doing to Sam had been close to breaking her. And that was something Jack had never thought he's see, had never wanted to see. But he knew that if Sam and the guys had gotten out, and they had gotten out, then Janet and Katie would be taking care of her. And if anyone could heal Sam mentally and physically it was those two, they didn't even know the meaning of the words "give up."

Sitting back against the wall, Jack tried to find the most comfortable position. Once he was as settled as possible, he began walling off memories and rebuilding mental blocks to protect what he knew of Earth's defenses and the Tok'ra. He had to protect them, and he would protect them. No matter what Ba'al threw at him, and the snakehead would do his best to break the SGC officer. Jack had never broken before, and no way in hell would he do it now.

All he had to do was wait. The SGC would come for him, he knew they would and unlike other times in his life, he felt no fear about being left behind with the SGC. They would come, and he would be ready. Ready and unbroken.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Kate sat beside Sam's bed, quietly watching the older woman's slow shallow breathing. All the medical help possible had been given to the Major and now they had entered the waiting game. Unlike her two teammates, who they had brought out of sedation earlier and were now sleeping peacefully on their own, the Major had slipped into a light coma.

The medical staff was exhausted; the three returning members of SG-1 had required constant care since returning two days ago. And the SG teams were still scouring the galaxy for the missing member. Kate sat, staring at this woman who was so important to her father and whom she knew relatively little about. She knew only what her father had told her over the years and what various people here had told her over the last six weeks. But aside from their initial meeting, ironically in this same room six weeks before, Kate had spent no time with her father's friend and second.

Normally Kate spent much time with her father's seconds, understanding their importance in his life and as a way for them to understand that Jack O'Neill had a life to come back to, so he had better come back.

But with this second, with this team, such interaction wasn't necessary. They were intensely devoted to each other, a family in so many ways. So many more ways than she and her father were these days. After Charlie's death she had needed to escape, had needed to runaway for a while and grief her precious baby brother. For she had always thought of him as her baby brother, even as he had gotten older.

Like her father, she grieved by walling herself off, by shutting down. In that state, she had not been able to help her father or her stepmother. But these people had helped him. When he had returned from what even she had assumed would be his final mission he was better. At least he was going through the motions of living again. These three people though, and especially this woman, had given him back a reason to live. And she was jealous of that. He was her father, her Daddy, and while he'd not been able to kill himself outright because of her, he'd also not seen her as a good enough reason to live.

But jealously and resentment would do her little good. It was her job to heal these three and that was what she was would do. And when she had done that, she would ask to return to Iraq, because despite what Janet thought, she was not needed here. And besides, she had her own life to live, one separate and distinct from Jack O'Neill's. If she wanted that life to include Hank Griff then she couldn't be here, couldn't be his doctor, after all she had sworn an oath and she did not intend to ever break it. After all, she had been taught to never break her word.


	24. Chapter 25

A/N:for your reading pleasure, chapter 24. thank you to everyone for the reviews, my health has returned, except for that nasty cough that keeps coming back, but that doesn't stop me from writing, or typing. also everyone please trust me, kate's not going anywhere for a while, she's too much fun to write. anyway, please remember to review, they make me smile and they make me type faster.

Chapter 24

Janet entered the infirmary the next morning and found her friend still sitting by Sam's bed. Exactly where the younger doctor had been when Janet had left the night before. Noticing the troubled look on Kate's face as she watched Sam, Janet made a decision. Quickly slipping over to where Kate sat, Janet placed a small hand on her shoulder and indicated for her to come into the office.

Once safely behind closed doors and drawn blinds, Janet turned to her friend and colleague, "What's wrong Kate?"

"Direct approach today?" Kate smirked, hiding behind sarcasm.

"Kate, if you're worried about Sam, she will get better. And then she's going to do everything possible to get the Colonel back. She's never let him down before and she won't now."

"Once Dad is back, I'm putting in for a transfer back to Iraq," Kate stated calmly, as if she hadn't even heard what Janet had been saying.

"What? Why?"

"I'm not needed here, Janet. I am needed there. It's time for my world to be separate from his again. We're not really meant to be in close contact. We aren't that kind of family."

"Kate, you are needed here. You know more instinctively about surgery than Warner, Field, and I do put together! And as for being separate from your father, no one here thinks of you as Jack O'Neill's daughter. You are separate from him, even while working here. Kate, why do you really want to leave?"

"These three are his life now Jan. I'm just someone from the past. He started living again because of them. And….I….I failed him. Our family was falling apart and I ran." Kate sank into the couch that Janet had sitting against her office wall, her voice quiet and defeated. Two things Janet Frasier had never thought to see in Kate O'Neill.

"Sweetheart, he needs you as much as he needs them. You're his family and you know how important that is to him. And as for leaving after Charlie's funeral, Hun, from what I know of it, he checked out too. But he ran mentally and you just needed space to cope. Besides, who was there for him during the divorce? Daniel was living on Abydos, and he didn't even know Sam or Teal'c then."

"Logically I know all these things Jan. But emotionally? I feel useless, like I don't belong either here or in his life."

"I know one major reason to stay here. Hun, I have never seen Hank Griff fall for anyone the way he's fallen for you. The only thing close I've ever seen is how the Colonel feels about Sam. Kate, if you left, it would break his heart."

"I do care about Hank, a lot. But I can't be his doctor and his girlfriend, Jan you know that!"

"What if I told you that certain rules aren't in effect here? And, if Hank does get hurt there are three other doctors here. We just use the same policy we do with you and the Colonel."

"What do you mean 'certain rules aren't in effect here'?"

"Well, after seven years of watching the Colonel and Sam dance around with their "Sir" and "Carter" game, we got certain regulations suspended for the SGC. After all, we're all together so much everyone here is family. Of course, the General, you, and myself are the only ones on base who know about the regulations change right now. Really though, except for a few people who have serious crushes on Sam, everyone wants them to be happy. And everyone wants you and Hank to be happy as well."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Think about staying? Please? You're the only one who has been able to control Field yet."

"So I'm just the idiot patrol?"

"Nah, but you do the job so well you know."

"It's a gift," Kate grinned, the first one in hours.

"Can I have it?" Janet joked; pleased to see Kate's dark mood had lifted.

"Nope, it's all mine. I don't share well."

"Name a doctor who does. Now go, you need at least six hours of sleep. So don't bother trying to sneak in here before that time's up."

"Boss's orders?"

"Hey, I am still the CMO around here. And I want my top surgeon in top shape. So sleep! Or I will sedate you."

"I'm going, I'm going," Kate smiled as she got up and turned to the door. "Hey, Jan?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"That's what friends are for, Hun. Anytime."

With a final smile, Kate slipped out of the infirmary and went to her on-base quarters for a few hours rest.


	25. Chapter 26

A/N:this is a repost of chapter 25. last saturday two days before my colonial america midterm i woke up at 4 in the morning (an hour after i had crashed) and realized that i had jumped timelines in this chapter. and having teal'c say "ass" was bugging me as much as it was bugging many of you. chapter 26 will be out soon. thanks for the reviews for the former chapter 25 and sorry for the mix-up.

CM

Chapter 25

When Sam woke up, she was startled to find herself safe in the SGC infirmary. But what scared err was that _his_ bed was empty. As the memories of their escape came flooding back she began to shake.

Kate had just entered the infirmary after sleeping for a good twelve hours and now had a much clearer head when it came to her father's friends and her place in his new life. Calmer and fully rested for the first time since she had been let out of the brig, her instincts took over the second she saw Sam. "Janet get in here! Carter's in shock!"

"With that hurried yell she quickly crosses to the Major's bed and began calming and stabilizing her. But by the time Janet arrived, with Field in tow, only seconds had past and Sam was now beginning to convulse.

Seconds past and modern medicine, even the truly advanced medicine available at the SGC didn't seem to work. Sam was still convulsing.

10 seconds had past.

15 seconds.

When Sam had been convulsing for 20 seconds, something changed. Kate's hands which had been touching only the cloth of Sam's hospital gown, slipped. And touched skin.

Everything in the room stopped, as everyone, including Daniel and Teal'c, looked on as a connection formed between Kate's hand and Sam. They watched in silence, unable to do anything, as Sam's convulsions stopped and her breathing became deep and even. Gently, Sam's body eased back until she was lying comfortably again. Only 60 seconds had passed since Kate's first frantic cry to Janet.

All eyes then turned to Kate. She stood there hand still touching Sam's skin, chocolate eyes wide with shock ad fear.

Then just as quickly as the connection had been made, it broke. Kate staggered back, wide and wild eyes staring at her hand and then glancing up at Sam. "What kind of freak am I?" was her whispered plea before she too collapsed.

Janet, Field, and the nurses instantly divided, half checking on Sam's condition, and half helping Kate. The entire medical staff at the SGC were used to seemingly impossible things happening.

Daniel and Teal'c looked on from their respective beds. Both had seen this before, Teal'c having lived it in Antarctica and Daniel having seen the security footage and having read Jonas Quinn's extensive notes. But recognizing what had happed and understanding how it had occurred were two different things. As far as they knew, Kate had never been off world. And she was also not displaying any of the other "symptoms" of going Ancient. But what they had seen was the same as when Ayiana had healed the Antarctica field team and all of SG-1, except for Jack. Except Ayiana had been an Ancient, frozen in time, and had had a similar reaction as Kate. But then, Kate had no idea what had happened or what the significance of any of this was. And unlike Ayiana, Kate didn't seem to have activated this part of her physiology consciously.

As they watched the medical staff attempt to stabilize the young woman, both men knew that the SGC had probably become the safest place for the young surgeon.

But it was only Field, who was watching the nurses check on Sam's condition, who commented, "Well damn, now I guess we're stuck with the little Colonel's daughter."

With a synchrony that had served their team so well in the past, Daniel and Teal'c just glared at the idiot doctor and replied, "Field you're an offspring of a male horse and a female donkey."


	26. Chapter 27

A/N:and as promised, here's chapter 26. chapter 25 has been changed a bit so it might be best to reread that one first. this one is short but it has lots of explanation in it, since the audience generally figures out how and why things happened faster than the characters. i would like to apologize now to anyone who knows anything about genetics, i have only taken basic biology courses, and so there may be some mistakes in my understanding of genetics. anyway, read, enjoy and don't forget to review.

Chapter 26

As Kate remained unconscious in the infirmary, Janet, Daniel, Teal's, General Hammond, a nervous ad slightly distraught Hank Griff, and a now awake, but still shaky Sam, gathered in the briefing room.

"SG-1, I am glad to see you up and about. This is only an informal debriefing, to see if we can't narrow the search for the Colonel. And to begin to attempt to figure out what happened in the infirmary," Hammond began; as they all took their seats, Jack's seat was left untouched by anyone.

""Honestly General, I'm not sure what planet we were held on, Teal'c do you have any clue?" Daniel remarked, feeling as if his lack of knowledge was a failure in some way.

"Indeed I do not know. Ba'al's Jaffa are well trained and rarely have ever turned against their master."

"I….I also was never able to find out any indication of which planet we were held on. But Ba'al never seemed nervous or edgy, wherever we were, he was comfortable there," Sam offered. Although she was still a bit shaky, her physical wounds had been completely healed by the incident in the infirmary. And her mental wounds were quickly healing, as if the pain and doubts and horror of what had happened, while not erased, had been taken away enough for the healing to begin.

"So Hebron remains our best bet then," the General sighed. He missed his 2IC and wanted him back, most especially for Kate, now unconscious in the infirmary.

"The Tok'ra debriefers and psychiatrists are doing their best, but dealing with that kind of mental trauma takes time. We also haven't found anyone he's completely willing to open up to yet," Janet reported.

"I'll talk with him General," Sam volunteered, "I probably understand his situation better than anyone can, except the Colonel of course."

"Of course Major. I am sure he will be glad to speak to someone who actually understands his experience," Hammond agreed, smiling reassuringly at his goddaughter. "Now, who can tell me what happened earlier in the infirmary? And why is Dr. O'Neill unconscious?"

"Well, that would be the mystery of the day. It appears that she somehow healed Major carter, but what happened to cause that I honestly have no clue." Janet informed the group, watching as Hank's shoulders seemed to sag even more with the knowledge that even the normally indomitable CMO didn't know what had happened to Kate.

"Actually, Teal'c and I have a pretty good idea what happened," Daniel offered, and continued on as all eyes turned to the pair. "The last time SG-1, with Jonas at the time, was called to Antarctica, because of the discovery of a frozen Ancient in the ice, a virus attacked the field team and SG-1. Now the Ancient, who was not dead, but simply in a state of cryogenic hibernation, I believe her name was Ayiana, healed all the ill, except for Jack, because she had used up all her strength with the others by the time Jack became ill, and she died before he could be cured, which was why he had to be healed by the Tok'ra Kanan. But anyway, from the security footage from the Antarctica research station and from Jonas extensive notes from the time, it appears that in order to heal the infected, Ayiana only had to touch those infected in order to heal them. I think that's what happened here, Dr. O'Neill must have the Ancient gene, like Jack, and something caused it to activate, since she doesn't appear to be 'going Ancient' and since it doesn't appear that anything like this has ever happened to her before."

When Daniel finally paused to take a breath, Janet took over. "For the most part, that makes sense sir. Especially with what we know of Ancient healing abilities from Ayiana, but that doesn't explain why she's unconscious or even how the gene was activated in the first place."

"Assuming it needs to be activated," Sam spoke up, "We have no evidence that the gene has to _be_ activated, for all we know a person merely has to possess the gene. We also know that mental concentration is the other key to working Ancient technology, besides having the requisite gene. So if Kate were simply concentrating on one thin, healing me, hard enough, and if her Ancient gene is dominant, or both her father _and_ mother had it and passed it on to her, then it is possible that genetically she is closer to the Ancients than other carriers of the gene. And thus would be able to use more of the Ancient abilities than other carriers."

"I agree, and her unconscious state could be explained by the shock to her body and mind. Sam had extensive injuries, sir, all of those injuries are now healed. The sheer amount of energy it must have taken Kate could explain her current state. Her body is trying to replace the energy lost and conserve what is left. As for her mind, well, it was written all over her face. She had no clue what was happening, so it could be that her conscious mind shut down in order to deal with this incredible shock." Janet continued, putting the pieces together.

"But will she wake up?" Hank asked, the desperation in his eyes the only evidence of his feelings for her.

"Well Doctor? Will she?" the General asked as well.

Janet hesitated a moment before answering, "She's stable now, sir. From the EKG readings she's in a coma. She might wake up when her body and mind have adjusted and accepted this. The best thing we can do for her is keep this _very_ quiet and find the Colonel."

"So it's a waiting game?" Hank asked.

"Yes Major. All we can do now is wait," Janet sighed wishing she could do more for her friend.


	27. Chapter 28

This is a repost of chapter 26.

A/N:and as promised, here's chapter 26. chapter 25 has been changed a bit so it might be best to reread that one first. this one is short but it has lots of explanation in it, since the audience generally figures out how and why things happened faster than the characters. i would like to apologize now to anyone who knows anything about genetics, i have only taken basic biology courses, and so there may be some mistakes in my understanding of genetics. anyway, read, enjoy and don't forget to review.

Chapter 26

As Kate remained unconscious in the infirmary, Janet, Daniel, Teal's, General Hammond, a nervous ad slightly distraught Hank Griff, and a now awake, but still shaky Sam, gathered in the briefing room.

"SG-1, I am glad to see you up and about. This is only an informal debriefing, to see if we can't narrow the search for the Colonel. And to begin to attempt to figure out what happened in the infirmary," Hammond began; as they all took their seats, Jack's seat was left untouched by anyone.

""Honestly General, I'm not sure what planet we were held on, Teal'c do you have any clue?" Daniel remarked, feeling as if his lack of knowledge was a failure in some way.

"Indeed I do not know. Ba'al's Jaffa are well trained and rarely have ever turned against their master."

"I….I also was never able to find out any indication of which planet we were held on. But Ba'al never seemed nervous or edgy, wherever we were, he was comfortable there," Sam offered. Although she was still a bit shaky, her physical wounds had been completely healed by the incident in the infirmary. And her mental wounds were quickly healing, as if the pain and doubts and horror of what had happened, while not erased, had been taken away enough for the healing to begin.

"So Hebron remains our best bet then," the General sighed. He missed his 2IC and wanted him back, most especially for Kate, now unconscious in the infirmary.

"The Tok'ra debriefers and psychiatrists are doing their best, but dealing with that kind of mental trauma takes time. We also haven't found anyone he's completely willing to open up to yet," Janet reported.

"I'll talk with him General," Sam volunteered, "I probably understand his situation better than anyone can, except the Colonel of course."

"Of course Major. I am sure he will be glad to speak to someone who actually understands his experience," Hammond agreed, smiling reassuringly at his goddaughter. "Now, who can tell me what happened earlier in the infirmary? And why is Dr. O'Neill unconscious?"

"Well, that would be the mystery of the day. It appears that she somehow healed Major carter, but what happened to cause that I honestly have no clue." Janet informed the group, watching as Hank's shoulders seemed to sag even more with the knowledge that even the normally indomitable CMO didn't know what had happened to Kate.

"Actually, Teal'c and I have a pretty good idea what happened," Daniel offered, and continued on as all eyes turned to the pair. "The last time SG-1, with Jonas at the time, was called to Antarctica, because of the discovery of a frozen Ancient in the ice, a virus attacked the field team and SG-1. Now the Ancient, who was not dead, but simply in a state of cryogenic hibernation, I believe her name was Ayiana, healed all the ill, except for Jack, because she had used up all her strength with the others by the time Jack became ill, and she died before he could be cured, which was why he had to be healed by the Tok'ra Kanan. But anyway, from the security footage from the Antarctica research station and from Jonas extensive notes from the time, it appears that in order to heal the infected, Ayiana only had to touch those infected in order to heal them. I think that's what happened here, Dr. O'Neill must have the Ancient gene, like Jack, and something caused it to activate, since she doesn't appear to be 'going Ancient' and since it doesn't appear that anything like this has ever happened to her before."

When Daniel finally paused to take a breath, Janet took over. "For the most part, that makes sense sir. Especially with what we know of Ancient healing abilities from Ayiana, but that doesn't explain why she's unconscious or even how the gene was activated in the first place."

"Assuming it needs to be activated," Sam spoke up, "We have no evidence that the gene has to _be_ activated, for all we know a person merely has to possess the gene. We also know that mental concentration is the other key to working Ancient technology, besides having the requisite gene. So if Kate were simply concentrating on one thin, healing me, hard enough, and if her Ancient gene is dominant, or both her father _and_ mother had it and passed it on to her, then it is possible that genetically she is closer to the Ancients than other carriers of the gene. And thus would be able to use more of the Ancient abilities than other carriers."

"I agree, and her unconscious state could be explained by the shock to her body and mind. Sam had extensive injuries, sir, all of those injuries are now healed. The sheer amount of energy it must have taken Kate could explain her current state. Her body is trying to replace the energy lost and conserve what is left. As for her mind, well, it was written all over her face. She had no clue what was happening, so it could be that her conscious mind shut down in order to deal with this incredible shock." Janet continued, putting the pieces together.

"But will she wake up?" Hank asked, the desperation in his eyes the only evidence of his feelings for her.

"Well Doctor? Will she?" the General asked as well.

Janet hesitated a moment before answering, "She's stable now, sir. From the EKG readings she's in a coma. She might wake up when her body and mind have adjusted and accepted this. The best thing we can do for her is keep this _very_ quiet and find the Colonel."

"So it's a waiting game?" Hank asked.

"Yes Major. All we can do now is wait," Janet sighed wishing she could do more for her friend.


	28. Chapter 29

A/N: here's chapter 27 finally. sorr for the delay, midterms and papers unfortunatley had to come first and then i couldn't download documents for some reason. either way, thanks for the reviews even if it was just to tell me that something weird was going on and chapters were being repeated, im not the most technically adept person in the world, duct tacpe really is my answer to most problems. still read, enjoy, review. remember reviews make me happy, and i sadly tend to write faster if im happy. so anyway, presenting chapter 27 for your reading pleasure.

Chapter 27

Sam stood at the foot of Kate's bed in the infirmary, Janet, Daniel, and Teal'c flanking her. Hank sat beside Kate, holding her smaller hand in his.

"She looks so much smaller than she did," Daniel commented, wondering how he could possibly be of any help to the young woman and worrying that the knowledge was locked in his subconscious.

"Everyone always does," Janet replied, remembering the first time she had made that realization, her first year as an intern.

"KateO'Neill will recover," Teal'c declared.

"Based on what Teal'c?" Sam asked, wanting to believe it as well.

"Her spirit is strong. Not many have the strength to stop a Jaffa who demands his revenge. KateO'Neill has that strength. She will survive this."

"Always has been one of the strongest people I know. Now, out all of you. You can't help her or find the Colonel standing here," Janet smiled lightly, as she attempted to shoo them out.

When Hank shot her a desperate look, and settled down even more in his chair, Janet sighed. He was acting exactly like a certain Colonel usually did, "Major, you can stay for a few more minutes. But not long all right?"

"Thanks Doc," he smiled, but it was not his usual grin. A fact which worried Janet, but the only thing she could think of that would bring back that irrepressible grin of his was the other "Doc" waking up.

Smiling in return Janet retreated to her office to give Hank some privacy or at least the illusion of privacy.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Teal'c and Daniel had joined had joined in the effort to sort through all the information on Ba'al and attempt to locate where he was holding O'Neill.

Sam had gone off to the VIP Quarters where Hebron was currently staying. Knocking quietly on the door, Sam focused her attention on the task at hand. She didn't understand much about recovering the memories left behind by a symbiote, but she did understand much about dealing with the memories and dealing with the silences left behind that no one else noticed. Straightening her shoulders, Sam turned the doorknob and stepped inside when she heard a light baritone voice call out for her enter.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Jack shook his head, sending beads of sweat mixed with blood flying. All he cared about was that for a few minutes at least the salty red mixture wouldn't be dripping into his eyes.

Settling back as well as he could, considering that he was once again trapped like a fly against Ba'al's favorite toy, the gravity wall, Jack glared at his tormentor. The well dressed Ba'al cocked his head and smiled evilly at him, "Now, now, Colonel, such looks are not necessary. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know and all this will be over."

"Sorry bub, but it's not going to happen," Jack managed to croak out, his throat was horse from screaming.

"Colonel, no one would blame you for telling me. It's not like they can claim that you weren't under duress. Believe me, when I say that your people will blame me, not you," Ba'al tried again, fingering another knife, this one even sharper than the last.

"Hell no Snakehead," Jack shot back, bracing himself for the knife he knew was coming.

"Well, I suppose you only need a bit more persuading. But you will tell me O'Neill, in the end, you will tell me," Ba'al's already evil smile turned even colder and more evil, twisting his face into a vision of pure demonic evil as he lifted the knife and a powerful flick of his wrist let fly the deadly blade.

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Hank quietly told Kate all the things they would get around to to doing when she got better. He also recounted their few "dates" and numerous lunches and dinners shared in the commissary. Holding her hand and talking to her didn't feel like much, in fact Hank felt like he wasn't helping her at all. Sighing, he stood up and was about to join the group attempting to locate Ba'al when she started to shake.

"Doc! Get in here!" he called as he tried to hold her still, recognizing the shaking as bad.

Janet ran in and immediately knew what was wrong. Somehow Kate had absorbed the sarcophagus addition that Sam had possessed when she had healed Sam. "She's in withdrawal, just keep her steady while I…" Janet had grabbed a sedative and despite the coma Kate was in, injected the drugs into the IV delivery fluids to her system. The valium calmed her quickly and the shaking, which had begun to look like convulsions had stopped.

"She's going to go through the sarcophagus withdrawal instead of Sam?" Hank asked, the worry in his eyes intensifying tenfold as he asked.

"Looks that way. This isn't over yet," Janet made a quick notation on Kate's chart and forced a smile, "Don't worry Hank, she's a fighter. Always has been always will be."

"But she's not and Ancient, Doc, she's human. What if whatever it was she did was just too much for her? What id all the fight she had in her is spent?"

"Hank Griff, this is the lady who has ended careers when she believed and had proof that lives were being wasted. This is the lady who stood up to Teal'c and refused to let him near Hebron until her patient was safe and Teal'c's common sense had returned. Kate came into the world fighting and I refuse to believe that she's done fighting. Don't give up on her, Hank, please don't give up on her."

"I won't Doc. I'm in too far to be able to give up on her."


	29. Chapter 30

A/N:Here it is, the next chapter. I am so sorry this one took so long, rl and an uncooperative muse hindered this one. Trust me the next chapter will not take so long. Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter and/or reviewed in the time since I last posted a chapter for this story. Again, I apologize for the wait and I hope you like this chapter. Remember reviews are always more than appreciated.

Chapter 28

In his cell again Jack slumped against the wall. The sarcophagus kept healing him and his faith in SG-1 remained strong, but he had a feeling something was wrong.

It was the same awful feeling he'd had when Kate got sick when she was a kid. But at least then he had been with her, had been able to sit beside her bed and cheer her up. Stuck here, that was not an option, although he had several ideas for escaping, each idea had consequences, and these consequences were not ones he especially wanted to face.

And not just because he was convinced something was wrong with Katie and he needed to get to her quickly. Also because of Sam. He was just as worried about her as he was Katie. The only difference was that once he was back he could express concern about Katie, something he couldn't do with Sam. But when he got back he was going to do something about that. Even for him, the King of procrastination, he had put off this conversation with Hammond for far too long. The hundreds, thousands, even millions of things could go wrong, but he was tired of waiting for a possible chance with Sam.

Putting these boring and tedious degrees, as well as a lifetime or twenty of practical experience to work finding a way out Jack began to reanalyze his previous plans hoping to find a way to get out of Ba'al's clutches, alive.

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Night had descended over the SGC, but only the dimmed lights of the infirmary indicated that.

In between working frantically to find Jack SG-1 had agreed to take turns watching over Kate. Hank had been sent to his quarters hours ago and Janet was a heartbeat away from removing him from the gate rotation but she hoped Kate would wake up before that became necessary.

In an effort to help, and because in some was because of her parentage Kate was at least an honorary member of the team, SG-1 had rallied around her and as they did for their own teammates they sat in vigil over the comatose doctor.

The graveyard shift was Sam's and as she sat and watched over the slightly younger woman, her fingers flew over the keyboard of her laptop and her mind raced with millions of possibilities as to where Ba'al could be hiding.

Hebron had given her a number of possible locations, places where he remembered there being the kind of facilities needed, or places where Ba'al he had been extremely comfortable, and had obviously felt safe.

Same downloaded those locations into the dialing computer and was using her laptop to run the numbers and identify the most likely locations. It was boring tedious work, it really didn't take much thought process but it kept her occupied and not thinking about either Jack or about Jolinar.

The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound other than the steady tapping of the keys. Sam wanted to say something, anything to this woman. She couldn't bring herself to think of Kate as a kid, like others did, their ages were to close for Sam to think of this woman, who she was still jealous of, as anything but a contemporary. But wanting to say something, and knowing what to say are two entirely different things and Sam always erred on the side of caution, at least in her personal life. So she just sat, and listened to the steady beeping, and focused her mind on the problem at hand. Finding Jack and bringing him home before the NID figured out that something was fishy about the new chief surgeon.

"Weird isn't it?" Janet asked as she walked up behind Sam, "In so many ways Kate is nothing like her father, but when it comes down to the line, she causes just as many problems."

"She seems to be exactly like him," Sam said quietly.

"She tries to be. Anything that was her mother she's tried desperately to stamp out of herself. And frankly I never knew Sara outside of what Kate said about her, so I'm not even sure what influence her stepmother had."

"He loves her so much, and he doesn't have to hide it from her…"

"True, but they've had their problems too. For years she resented him, blamed him for Charlie. But then she blamed herself for not being able to deal after it happened, for not fighting for the only family she ever knew. She's not perfect, but I think she believes that if she is, then the one person who walked out on her might come back, and that possibly she will understand why she walked out after Charlie died."

"Your trying to make me like her, aren't you, Janet?"

"Sam, give her a chance. She's a great friend to have, and when dealing with Jack O'Neill, she is the master. Besides, think of how she feels, Sam. SG-1 has taken her place in the Colonel's life and no one likes to feel replaced."

"Not even world-famous surgeons?"

"They like it even less. Well try not to work too hard. He is coming back, you always bring him home."

"Yeah, but why am I more scared this time?" Sam asked quietly as Janet left.

As the hours passed til dawn, Sam sat and worked, never noticing the slight changes in the EKG readouts.


	30. Chapter 31

A/N:Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter, as always they were very much appreciated. Here is chapter 29 for your enjoyment. Please review, it helps me to know that a conclusion to this story is still wanted.

To all those in the States or from the States, I hope you had a happy and safe Independence Day.

Chapter 29

"Anything Sam?" Daniel asked as he walked into her lab. Hank had once again taken over the chair next to Kate's bed, right after one of the nurses had watched him eat breakfast, Janet was taking no chances with anyone else's health.

"Some of these sites are real possibilities for where Ba'al could be holding J the Colonel. Others are good sites for the Jaffa Rebellion to know of, if they can get anybody from Ba'al's armies to join," Sam began.

"It has been difficult to find any who serve Ba'al who are wiling to fight for their freedom. Ba'al has terrorized the Jaffa under his command into believing that if they rise against him he will only grow in power," Teal'c spoke up, the shadows of the lab had hidden him from view.

"Whoa! Sorry, didn't see you there Teal'c," Daniel exclaimed.

"It is all right Daniel Jackson."

"How many of the planets Hebron indicated have already been checked?" Daniel asked.

"Only three, but that includes the most promising of all the planets Hebron mentioned."

"Odd. Could, and this is only a possibility, and one I'm sure someone has already thought of, could he not be telling the whole truth?"

"Are you channeling the Colonel, Daniel? Or did you hit your head on something? Touch any weird artifacts lately?" Sam inquired though she was half-serious, she was smiling which both men considered good especially given the circumstances.

"I don't think so, not that I'm aware of, and not recently. But still, other than the fact that he doesn't have a snake in his head, who says he's not a bad guy? They could have turned him."

"Not likely. Becoming a Tok'ra is a serious commitment. One that no host makes lightly."

"Uh, Sam? You didn't have much of a choice, Jack did it…once…and hated it, and the Tok'ra never really let Hebron in, especially after they put Tanith in his head."

"Daniel, I know this. But Hebron wanted to be a Tok'ra, he hates the Gou'ald and still wants to fight them. Actually, now he wants to fight them even more, he's just not too happy with the Tok'ra."

"Wonder why? Anyway you said the most promising planet had already been checked?"

"Yeah PX-987. It was checked last Thursday by SG-9. There are, however, ruins on the surface, according to the report. Ancient ruins."

"Ancient, as in folks who built the Stargates or ancient as in really old?"

"Ancient as in part of the club that kicked you out," Sam grinned, "Which means I want another team to survey the planet."

"Because Ba'al could have figured out enough to be hiding in one of all the fun hidden chambers the Ancients loved so much. Or he could be working with Anubus that would give him the ability to adapt Ancient technology and use it to hide," Daniel thought out loud.

Sam leaned against her work table and stared around her lab. As her gaze shifted from object to object Daniel and Teal'c would have sworn, if asked, that they could hear the gears in her brain shifting and opening up to full throttle.

"What if it's simpler than that? What if we're over looking the obvious?" She asked, not actually expecting an answer.

"Like what MajorCarter?" Teal'c asked, hoping to help prompt her mind on.

"The Goa'uld have cloaking devices for their motherships and really all their ships. Nerriti was the only one with a personal cloaking device, but wouldn't the System Lords have confiscated that after the summit four years ago?"

"Most likely. They were pretty pissed that she hadn't told them about it," Daniel answered, sitting in Sam's desk chair and watching her mind begin to spin as it formulated a distinct possibility.

"So it's possible that Ba'al could use a cloaking device to shield a mothership or a base while on a planet. Which would mean that even a visual survey would never find anything," Sam continued.

"If the Tok'ra have a way to detect cloaking devices, we could borrow it and recheck PX-987."

"Yet I have never heard of a way to detect a ship when it is cloaked. Such a device would be priceless to any System Lord and especially to any minor Goa'uld," Teal'c somberly offered.

"True, but even if a specific device doesn't exist, it takes huge amounts of power to keep a cloaking device active, if we can detect that energy, it would give us a start," Sam answered. She knew this was more than a possibility, everything in her scientist, officer, and woman _knew_ this was important. And she also _knew_ that PX-987 was the place to look.

Daniel can you find where Dad and the other Tok'ra on base are? I'm going to need to talk with Selmak and one of their scientists," Sam said grabbing some reference books off her overcrowded bookshelf.

"Please not Anise," Daniel begged as he vacated her chair.

"Based on the security video Sgt. Davis shared with me it is unlikely Anise will be joining any meeting on base in the near future," Teal'c's eyes twinkled lightly, though only they knew it, Sam and Daniel knew the Jaffa warrior was pleased with Kate's actions. Of course, only they could see the twinkle in his eye.

"True, but she's more an archaeologist who plays with every artifact she finds. Sorry Daniel."

"No problem, Sam. So any scientist of theirs who's n base or can get here ASAP will do?"

"Definitely I want to have this idea be more than a possible theory when we go to the General," Sam answered distractedly, her brain already focused solely on making this theoretical device a reality, and on trying to access Jolinar's memories to see if it was already created. Daniel and Teal'c left the lab and went to round up the people Sam needed. They knew that even if this device wasn't real yet, it soon would be. After all, Sam had once built a particle beam accelerator to bring Jack home: she could do the impossible, they just had to keep her sprits up while her usual muse was a captive of evil.


	31. Chapter 32

Chapter 30

Jack sighed, so far none of his ideas had worked, and it looked like Ba'al was the one System Lord who wasn't having a Jaffa Rebellion problem. He also couldn't seem to identify any undercover Tok'ra, and he'd been an "honored guest" of Ba'al long enough for any of the supposed "good" snakes to have found him.

His gut was still telling him that something was wrong at the SGC, although it did not seem to be as urgent as before, he knew he had to get back quickly. But he displayed no sign of his frustration or anxiety. He couldn't take the chance of Ba'al having him watched. At least the first time he'd been stuck long term with Ba'al, Daniel had been in the Glow Club, and at that point even Jack was uncertain of his sanity as his stay with Ba'al lengthened.

But now that wasn't an option, and he had nothing but his fear and his imagination to keep him company. That was the one thing he truly hated about being not only a prisoner but also separated from his team and everyone else. There was nothing for him to focus on except escaping and his fear.

He thought he had a plan put together, at least the barest outline of a plan. He was a believer in the idea that details were just something that would go wrong. The odds were already against him, and he preferred to not stack them any higher.

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"So it's possible Jack is on a planet we've already checked?" General Hammond asked, not quite believing what SG-1 was telling him. Still it was _SG-1_, and the odds that they were right were better, besides they were the House and since the House always wins Hammond was willing to go along with anycrazy ideas these people might come up with.

"Yes sir, if the building the Colonel is being held in is cloaked there would be no way to tell from a visual inspection of the planet that anything was actually there," Sam quickly explained, she had been working on this 36 hours straight and had a definite caffeine buzz from the amounts of diet pop and Daniel's coffee she had consumed. But she had figured out not only how to tell if a cloak was in the area, but also she'd MacGyvered together the instrument she needed.

"Basically what we would be doin is a larger version of the base-wide sweep we implemented during the treaty negotiations with the Goa'uld. A personal cloaking device is the principle, just on a much smaller scale, so we simply need a larger version of the instrument we used then," she continued.

"I see. Do what you have to Major, to get as many of these things made as fast as possible. SG-1 you have a go to reexamine PX-987. You Gate-out in seven hours."

After Hammond had returned to his office and SG-1 had vacated the briefing room, Daniel spoke up.

"Why wait seven hours? You already have a working version of the larger doohickey so why can't we Gate out immediately?"

"Because when SG-9 was there for the original search they noted the planet's time difference to Earth. If we Gated in now it would be the middle of the night, which is fine, except we don't know where the Gate s in relation to any cloaked ships or buildings, and the Gate is not only loud , it really lights up at night," Sam answered, trying to accept the logic herself. The part of her that was an Air Force officer accepted and understood the logic, the part of her that was a scientist understood that the scientists on base needed her here for a few more hours to get the other devices ready for other teams, but the part of her that was neither of those the part of her that she continually denied, wanted to go now. Go now and find him and bring him home safely, despite the risks of going now.

"SG-1 to the infirmary. SG-1 to the infirmary," the PA system announced.

The three friends all knew that something had happened and without saying a word took off for the elevator to take them to the infirmary.

When they arrived the scene before them appeared normal, or at least what was normal since Sam woke up and Kate went into a coma. Kate lay on the bed, hooked to dozens of machines, dead to the world around her; Hank Griff sat beside her, not really paying attention to anything except her, and Janet hovered nearby, ever-present clipboard in her hands as she monitored her young friend and colleague's unchanging condition.

But then they noticed it. The one huge difference.

Janet was smiling.

"She's come out of it. I don't know how, but she's sleeping normally, all her brain wave patterns are completely normal!" Janet's excitement was contagious and SG-1 quickly found themselves grinning as well.

"What about the withdrawal?" Daniel asked, remembering his own experiences with that delightful side effect of the sarcophagus.

"A few convulsions, but nothing as bad as I thought it would be."

"This is great. We think we know where Jack might be, with luck she'll be awake when he gets back," Daniel's excitement was as intense as Janet's. He knew that Jack would be upset that he hadn't been here while Kate was in the coma, but it would help him if Kate were awake and not a patient in the infirmary when he got back.

"When do you three leave?" Janet asked, eying Sa carefully.

"We Gate out in seven hours DoctorFrasier," Teal'c answered, appearing to the outside world as somber and stoic as ever.

"Then I want the three of you to get some sleep. Especially you Sam, you've been up 36 hours straight that I know of and its probably closer to 72 in reality."

When Sam looked about to protest Janet put up a hand, "If you don't get at least six hours of sleep Sam I won't clear you for Gate travel. Major Griff, I want you to get some sleep too. Better yet, go home and sleep. The danger is over, she's sleeping peacefully and you need to sleep or you'll be my next patient."

Too tired to argue and knowing it wouldn't do any good anyway both Majors agreed.

Once the infirmary was again empty except for Janet, a nurse sitting quietly at the nurse's station, and Kate sleeping quietly.

"Now we just have to keep you safe Kate. God only knows what the Colonel would do if anyone, much less the NID, kidnapped you for testing. God only knows," Janet said softly to her sleeping friend before going to her office to work on her ever present paperwork.


	32. Chapter 33

Chapter 31

Jack grunted in pain as a particularly large Jaffa landed a fist the size of a cantaloupe on his solar plexus. The two other Jaffa holding him didn't let him crumple to the floor, but that worked to Jack's advantage as he lunged forward and attempted to tackle the Jaffa in charge of this beating. Jack had goaded the guards into his cell with that were universal. With Jaffa, insulting their hereditary lineage and a few sharp barbs about how their "god" was actually just a lying fake, nearly always worked. Well it worked two ways. Some of the Jaffa it made Rebels out of, or at least collaborators and sympathizers. Others it just made them mad. And few things in the universe, Jack decided, were scarier than an angry Jaffa.

But angry Jaffa worked for him. In fact it was probably better than a new Rebel Jaffa or a collaborator, he always felt bad if one of them ended up dead, and if his plan worked and he got out, these guards probably wouldn't have a very long life expectancy. Unfortunately that was the way Ba'al operated, and besides, Jack understood the costs of war. There were casualties and there were evil people and a pretty good definition of war was that people were being killed, and it didn't matter whether or not they deserved it.

He was a prisoner of war, and it was his duty to escape. And that's exactly what he planned to do.

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Hours later after he had been through his daily chat with Ba'al and his time in the sarcophagus he found himself dumped alone in his cell. Even better since he had taken the precautions to not anger any Jaffa since that morning, he was in perfect health. Except for the sarcophagus addiction and that didn't count right now. He'd worry about that when he was under the thumb of a Napoleonic Power Monger.

Grabbing the knife-like object he'd stashed under a loose bit of wall that morning he stood and grinned.

His little cell was unlike the one he'd been held in the first time he'd been Ba'al's quest. That cell had been designed to hold prisoners, but not this one. This cell was a makeshift one. After staring at the walls of the small plain room long enough, he realized that it was familiar. The room looked almost exactly like the old wood storage room that had been in his grandparents house. The room had been in the cellar next to where his grandmother had stored her canned vegetables. That house had been heated by a wood burning stove and Jack could remember helping to stock the room for the winter.

The most important and most relevant aspect of that room was the door.

The door for the wood room could open from inside or outside, but if the door was closed it locked from the inside.

Standing in front of where the door appeared each time one of Ba'al's goons entered, Jack started running his hands along the wall trying to concentrate solely on opening the door. Since the door was a seamless part of the wall expect when opened he figured this place was not made by any kind of snakehead. Since the Goa'uld preferred bug thick very obvious blast doors and the Tok'ra had a preference for no doors, this technology was different, yet still familiar somehow.

The familiarity of this odd technology bothered him, but he had other things to worry about. Besides Sam could always tell him later where the door had come from, though knowing his luck it was Ancient.

Silently a previously seamless part of the wall slide back and Jack crouched out of the way with his knife. When no guard came through to investigate he moved silently and swiftly out of the room.

All he had to do was get out of the building, to the Stargate (assuming there was one) and Gate to a safe planet where he could barrow a GDO.

Piece of cake.


	33. Chapter 34

Chapter 32

"Anything Sam?" Daniel asked as he and Teal'c watched as Sam mad a slight adjustment on her energy detector.

"Over that hill about half a click away, there's a major energy source," Sam said eyes flicking between the energy readouts and the area around her.

"How major?" Daniel asked.

"Enough to power the mountain and the Gate for 3 years."

"That would be a lot."

The three began to move quietly toward the area Sam had indicated. Daniel and Teal's watched Sam's back closely as she guided them toward the energy source. Over the next ten minutes the group moved slowly, leaving no trace they had been there. IF they were right and Jack was on the planet, surprise was their one advantage. After all only the three free members of SG-1 had come, though every member of all the teams not scheduled to search other planets had volunteered. But since they didn't know for certain that Jack was on this planet, the General had only authorized SG-1 to go.

As they neared the area they stopped again and watched as a lone Jaffa walked toward a flat plain. When he reached a certain point they watched as he appeared to press his hand flat plam out, against absolutely nothing. They saw no door or anything appear, but watched as the Jaffa stepped forward and disappeared.

"Well I guess this means we hit the jackpot," Daniel commented in a whisper.

"Provided we can open that door," Sam answered as she scanned the area for any other Jaffa.

"It will be difficult to approach the area without being spotted," Teal'c commented.

"It's an invisible building, or mothership, its not like we can sneak up under the windows or anything," Daniel pointed out.

"We may have to take the risk Teal'c. They have the advantage and really there is not a whole lot we can do about it," Sam noted.

"Goa'uld buildings tend to have many windows depending on the culture they have enslaved, and there will be guards on the roof. With others this may not be the case but Ba'al's First Prime is always cautious with security. In battle it is the opposite," Teal'c told them.

"But what is it isn't a Goa'uld building?" Daniel asked, "What if it belongs to another race and as usual the Goa'uld simply took over?"

"The energy readings are the same as the Goa'uld cloaking devices Daniel," Sam commented.

"I understand that. But something is familiar about this. I just cant remember what it is."

"Perhaps you are remembering the Nox, DanielJackson."

"No its not them. Those ruins we passed, the ones by the Gate, are Ancient. Every single thing about them screams Ancient, from the writing to the design to the outside layout. Now why would there be Ancient ruins by the Gate but not here on this plain, just over a click from the Gate? The Goa'uld are parasites, even with technology, they just take over what others created or left behind. Now why build a new building, even if new is centuries old, when there are already standing buildings on the planet?"

"So if it's actually an Ancient building hidden by a Goa'uld cloaking device that changes things," Sam smiled at him.

"There are far fewer windows on the buildings of the Ancients by the Stargate. And it might not be possible to put guards on the roof. It may be possible to approach without being discovered," Teal's theorized.

"Great! Let's go!" Daniel was ready to get Jack back.

"We must proceed with caution." With that final statement by Teal'c, the three began moving silently toward the plain.

Within minutes they arrived and quickly moved to where the Jaffa had disappeared. Sam reached out with her hands flat, palms out, as she had seen the Jaffa do.

"We should be able to feel the building. The invisibility is simply the cloaking device bending the light around the building, but its still physically here," she said as she attempted to locate the building.

At that Daniel and Teal'c began feeling for the building as well. Daniel was the first to find it when he walked right into it.

"Guess I found it," he said sheepishly.

"Well now we know where the wall is," Sam helped Daniel up and frowned at the invisible wall. "Now we just have to find the door."

As Daniel stood next to her he put out his hand and touched the wall.

They heard nothing, but suddenly an open doorway into the structure appeared.

"Well now we're in," Daniel grinned again.

The trio moved inside, with their weapons drawn and ready. They didn't know where Jack was inside and they also didn't know how many other people were inside and they also didn't know how many other people were inside.

As they moved deeper into the building they made no noise. They were focused entirely on finding their friend and leader.

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Jack moved swiftly and silently through corridors. Although there were lights in the corridors they were dim and it seemed to him that the entire place was shut down with only low security lights left on. Whenever he encountered people he hid in the deep shadows the lights created. So far he had avoided being detected and from the attitudes and tones of the passing Jaffa guards, Goa'uld minions, human slaves, no one seemed to know that the prisoner had escaped. Which was excellent in his mind, because although he knew how to get from his cell to his torture chamber and from the sarcophagus to his cell, he had no clue where the door to the outside was.

As he neared a corner he heard something. Easily he made out footsteps, three pairs, moving slowly and carefully. One was heavier than the other two, but it was the quietest of all three. Quickly Jack sank into one of the many shadows against the dark gray stone walls and adjustable grip on his knife.

And then he waited.

When the first figure moved around the corner and he saw who it was Jack nearly collapsed. Instead he grinned and stepping out of the shadows remarked dryly, "What took ya so long? I ordered that anchovy pizza hours ago."

The figure in front of him did not smile, but the corners of the mouth did turn up slightly, "It is good to see you as well O'Neill. I am afraid we have no pizza for you, since it was pickup, not delivery."

Jack's grin broadened, it was Teal'c and he had answered the verbal code challenge correctly. "Good T, let's blow this popsicle stand go home."

"Jack this building was created by the Ancients we can't just blow it up!" Daniel hissed.

"Nice to see you too Daniel. I'm fine by the way."

Daniel glared at Jack, "Sorry Jack, how are you?"

"Fine, those sarcophagus's are really nice you know. Now can we get out of here? This place is infested with snakes."

"That's fine by me sir," Sam said smiling, if Jack was joking now he would probably be alright, even if the withdrawal and the mental trauma hadn't hit yet.

"Great to see ya Carter, glad you could join the party!"

"Nice to see you too sir. If we hurry we can get back to the Gate before dark," she answered with a smile.

"Yeahsureyabetcha."


	34. Chapter 35

Chapter 33

Kate opened her eyes and stared at the dull grey ceiling trying to figure out where she was. The last thing she remembered was something weird happening when Major Carter was in convulsions, but she didn't know what happened after that.

Wanting to know what was going on around her, she figure she had to be in the infirmary, especially since she didn't have an apartment and the bed she was in was _way_ more comfortable than the cots in the on-base sleeping quarters, she attempted to sit up.

"Dr Frasier, Dr. O'Neill is awake!" Nurse Fordman called before moving over to Kate's bed, "Just stay still, everything is all right, Dr. O'Neill," she said calmly, well aware that doctors are the worst patients and _this_ one would probably be even worse, since she was also a blood relative of the Colonel.

Janet hurried out of her office and was quickly at Kate's bedside, "Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked, pulling out her penlight and flashing it in Kate's eyes.

"I feel fine, and nothing is wrong with my eyes," Kate groused.

"Acts like her father, so nothing's wrong with her sense of humor," Janet smiled at her, "What do you remember?"

"I remember….something…weird happening when Major Carter was convulsing. I felt like my arm and hand were on fire, but I couldn't move either at all. It was like I was glued to her or something. And then….nothing….I must have blacked out, but I don't remember it at all. What happened Janet?" Kate kept her voice even, she was scared out of her mind, but she was too much her father's daughter to let any of that fear show.

"Well, we're not positive on what happened, but we do have a theory," Janet began.

"A theory? What am I, a new medical mystery paper?" Kate asked skeptically.

"Hardly, but remember a lot of what happens here is literally out of this world. We have no way to prove what we think happened without a few of our allies, and they rarely show up when its convenient.

"Great so what's the theory?" Kate asked as she attempted to sit up, her muscles felt extremely weak and very sore from lying still for what she figured was a very long time.

"Well, it's like this," Janet began.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

They had managed to get out of the building and back to a stand of trees before they heard alarms go off in the invisible building of the Ancients.

"At least we have some cover," Jack commented, adjusting the P-30 he had taken from Daniel.

"We still have another kilometer to before we reach the Gate," Sam said, covertly checking out Jack, mentally telling herself that this time it was okay, since she had to know if he was in any condition to hike a kilometer in the hour and a half they had until sunset.

"Great. Is this the only way to the Gate? We don't need Ba'al and his minions getting there first. They might do something mean like blow it up or something else equally Goa'uldish."

"Goa'uldish?" Daniel asked.

"What? It's a word," Jack said, putting an innocent/clueless look on his face.

"I believe this is the only route to the Stargate O'Neill. We must hurry before Ba'al's Jaffa warriors catch up to us," Teal'c started walking away towards the Gate.

The four moved quickly through the trees, all listening for any sounds behind them. The last thing they wanted was Ba'al's Jaffa to surprise them, especially with Jack's physical condition unknown. Neither Teal'c, Daniel, nor Sam could visually see anything wrong, and figured that Ba'al had been liberally using the sarcophagus again, since Jack's knee didn't seem stiff at all. But they had no way of knowing how long it had been since he was last in the sarcophagus, and so it was Teal'c who brought up the rear. If any of the withdrawal symptoms set in they would still be able to bring Jack home safely.

Even though he was capable of moving quickly, the group did not move quite as fast as was possible. Although under normal conditions they could cover the same distance quicker, they wanted to reach the Gate safely. And as the sun was beginning to set, they reached the Gate.

"Time to go home sir," Sam smiled at Jack, trying to convey as much emotion as she dared admit to him in that simple action.

"Home is good Carter. Let's go shall we?" he said, definitely planning to talk to Hammond when the Doc released him. He'd probably waited too long already, but he knew Katie would have his hide id he never said anything.

"There's no place like home," he muttered under his breath as he stepped though the Gate with his team.

Once on the other side of the Gate he smiled ruefully as Hammond stood at the foot of the Gate with Katie next to him sitting in a wheelchair, he made a mental note to find out what that was about while Doc was poking and prodding him. Every member of all the SG teams stood behind the General and the doctor, waiting at attention.

"Welcome home SG-1," only extreme control and years of practice kept Hammond's voice even, "Welcome home."


	35. Chapter 36

Chapter 34

"How is he doing?" Sam asked Kate later that night in the infirmary.

"Physically, he's fine. We're just keeping him here until he's out of withdrawal from the sarcophagus," Kate answered leaning back in her chair.

"How about you? Any side effects from….?" Sam asked cautiously.

"None we've noticed. I have to stay in this chair a while and do some physio, but only because I was in that bed for so long and apparently a lot of my muscle mass was burned up during the……transfer….or whatever it was."

"It's hard to believe you've been here over two months already. Settling in okay?"

"Time flies when you havin' fun. And yeah, everyone's been real nice. Especially since I punched that Anise. Who taught Tok'ra Barbie how to dress by the way?"

Sam giggled, "Well that's a mystery no one knows the answer too. I'm not sure if anyone really wants to know the answer or not."

"I'm sure. Isn't there some rule about no giggling?"

"That's the Colonel's rule. Remind me to tell you the story behind it later."

"Definitely. Blackmail material is always good. Trust me, I've got a few stories for you too," Kate said, a wicked grin spreading across her face.

"Around here blackmail material and gossip material make the slow days get by."

"You have slow days?"

"A few. Once or twice a year. Depends on how many Goa'uld are trying to kill us."

"Oh, well that makes sense. Speaking of gossip, Dad talked to Hammond earlier."

"He had his debriefing, or at least the preliminary debriefing earlier."

"He talked to Hammond alone, in his office. Sgt. Davis said Dad came out grinning and Hammond was grinning as well. Something's up," Kate glanced slyly up at Sam's face.

"Really? Wonder what that's about," years of beating Marines at poker had given Sam a great poker face, and she gave nothing away.

"Guess we'll find out later. G'night Major," Kate said as she maneuvered her chair towards the door.

"It's Sam."

"Better call me Kate then. Don't stay up too long, I don't want to have to admit you again," Kate smiled at the older woman.

"Don't worry, I won't." Sam sat down in a chair beside Jack's bed and settled back for a long night. He was home, home and safe. Nothing was going to prevent her from telling him how she felt, not anymore. Some things were more important than careers and she'd been saving the world too long for other people to have lives while she lived in limbo. She couldn't stand to lose him again, she'd almost lost him too many times to count and nothing was going to stop her now.

Leaning down, she whispered softly," I love you." As she leaned back in her chair, she saw him smile slightly and shift in his sleep. He'd heard her.


	36. Chapter 37

A/N:Well this is the end of this very story. It's been a long year and I would like to thank all those who kept reading and reviewing this story, even when it disappeared for weeks or months at a time. I should, theortically, begin posting a new story soon, when I come up with a title. All those who want to help out with that chore, just drop me a line and I'll tell you more about the storyline. Anyway, thanks for the wonderful reviews, the great encouragement, and all that jazz. This final chapter has a slight Grey's Anatomy crossover, and figuring it out shouldn't be hard, but it does pose a question and I'd love to hear what you guys think the answer is.

Disclaimer:I don't own Grey's Anatomy. Please don't sue.

Chapter 35

Epilogue

Maneuvering the wheelchair expertly, Kate joined SG-1 and Janet in the commissary.

As she neared Daniel stood up from the table and went to the chow line, grabbing Kate a sandwich and a cup of coffee.

"Thanks Daniel," Kate grinned at him.

"No problem, I've had to deal with that line in a wheelchair and it's never easy or fun," Daniel replied, sitting down again.

"Still, thanks," with the immense reduction in her stress levels; Kate's easy-going manner had reasserted itself. After all, it only disappeared rarely.

"When does SG-2 get in?" Jack asked, attempting nonchalance.

"What he really means is when does Hank get back from the new Alpha site?" Sam grinned at Kate, catching the slightly younger woman's eye to let her know that she was on her side. Ever since Jack had woken up in the infirmary, he had been giving Hank Griff an extremely hard time. He'd also given his daughter a lot of grief over falling for a Marine.

Glaring playfully at her father, Kate ignored his nonchalant attitude as she sipped her coffee. "He gets back just in time for those reporter or documentary makers or whatever they are, who are coming tomorrow."

"Really? So SG-2 is getting in what at 1300 tomorrow?" Jack tried again.

"1230 tomorrow, but you already knew that," Kate smiled evilly at him, "Besides, I would be nice to me if I were you."

"Why's that Shorty?" Jack challenged.

The others laughed at the look of indignant anger that was on Kate's face.

"Teal'c did you just laugh?" Jack asked, knowing how far he could take angering his surgeon daughter.

"Indeed O'Neill. The look on KateO'Neill's face was quite comical," Teal'c replied somberly, his face giving nothing away.

"Well true….." Jack began, looking at Teal'c incredulously.

"Just accept it, Jack," Daniel said, glancing up from the notes he was reviewing.

"Right. Daniel! What have I said about working during meals?" Jack grabbed the notebook from Daniel and closed it.

"Jack! I didn't know where I was! And I have to brief the team linguists on the variations of Ancient we found on PX-999 in an hour!" Daniel exclaimed trying to grab the notebook back.

"Sir," Sam said in an exasperated tone.

Glancing at her face and deciding that making Sam angry was about as smart as making Janet or Katie angry, and considering their new arrangement, it was even less intelligent, Jack handed the book back to Daniel. Grinning ruefully he asked, "So who wants pie?"

That earned him glares from all three women and he belated recalled something about the camera adding 10 pounds, he knew none of the ladies on base were looking forward to being interviewed, not that he, Daniel, and Teal'c were looking forward to it either.

"So…uh…Katie, how much longer in the chair?" he quickly changed the subject.

"Another week, I shouldn't have tried walking the other day without help," Katie sighed, picking at her sandwich.

"So another week and you'll be cleared for off-world duty," Sam commented, "Don't worry it's not that long."

"I know. I just have a bad feeling something is going to happen," Kate sighed, "At least the tables in the OR are adjustable so I can still do my job while I'm stuck in this chair."

"And whose fault is that?" Jack asked.

"Yours," she replied, sounding extremely serious.

"Mine?" Jack asked.

"Yup. I blame everything on you. Makes life easier," Kate joked, smiling broadly.

"Well its nice to know I'm good for something around here," Jack grinned back at his little Katie. His two worlds had collided, but it wasn't the catastrophe he'd envisioned. In fact, if not for Katie being reassigned to the SC then Sam would probably still be dating Spud-Boy or whatever his name had been. And he knew he probably wouldn't have had the courage to tell Sam, or even talk to General Hammond, if Katie hadn't prompted/ordered him too. And since he definitely enjoyed the results of those talks, he _really really_ enjoyed spending time with Sam without having to have Daniel and or Teal'c around as well, he was willing to admit that Janet and General Hammond had done the right thing by bringing Katie to the SGC on a more permanent basis. Even if other hospitals, having heard that she was back in the States, were now begging the Academy Hospital to loan her out on consults.

Reaching under the table and silently squeezing Sam's hand, Jack returned his mind to the conversation. All they had to do was survive a bunch of reporters and cameras in their faces, but that would be easy, after all only research and basic recon teams were off world.

Giving Sam's hand another quick squeeze, Jack grinned at his still technically homeless daughter. "So Katie-Did-Darling-Dear, how goes the apartment hunt?"

Resisting the urge to smack him for the nickname, Kate instead rolled her eyes, "Found one, I'm signing the paperwork tomorrow."

"Well tomorrow is a brand new day, and a good one to move out of base quarters," Janet smiled lightly, "but right now we have to get back to the infirmary, if we're not there Field tends to get ideas."

"Why don't you just have him reassigned? He really is an ass," Sam asked.

Maneuvering her chair away from the table, Kate shrugged, "True, but he's _our_ ass."

After the two medical doctors had left, SG-1 separated as well. After all, reporters might be coming the next day, but no matter what it was still business as usual at the SGC.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

Back in his office, Jack was attempting to do paperwork. Then he saw it, one of Katie's medical newsletters, the kind that told you who was where and what they were doing and also had some cool medical mystery stories.

Picking it up, he began to flip through it, not really wanting to read Daniel's longwinded report on some rock he'd found. On the third page in, Jack stopped flipping and began to read, alternately gapping at the picture that accompanied the article. He knew that face, that smile, those eyes, the name was different, not even the first name was the same, but he _knew_ that face. It was Katie's mother, and apparently she was at Seattle Grace Hospital.


End file.
